The Game of Love
by Superkoi
Summary: "This wasn't supposed to happen. It came out of nowhere... It was all just a game until I fell in love with you. Then all the rules started to change." AU. TxY.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: My creative ADD strikes again! So does my not-so-secret obsession with high school AUs. Shhh... The birth of this story is totally unexpected. I've had it planned out for a couple days now, but I wasn't expecting to write any of it out until much later. But then I sat down to start writing something and just kept writing. And writing. And _writing_. Ten hours later... Anyway! You get the gist. I now have a couple fics that I'm currently in the process of updating so expect a few delays, folks. But I pinky promise that I'm going to get to everything. Fear not! :) For now, please enjoy the first installment of my brand new story! **

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**THE GAME OF LOVE: Chapter 1**

Tidus' day is already off to an unfavorable start from the moment he wakes up.

It all starts when he opens his eyes, immediately squinting against the dull light that shines down through the overcast clouds and his window. He stretches his muscled limbs underneath the bed sheets, heaves a groggy moan, and turns his head toward the alarm clock on his nightstand.

And that's all it takes to have him tumbling out of bed, frantically reaching for the first articles of clothing he can find within the confines of the mess that is his bedroom. The time on the clock berates him with blaring red numbers that read 7:30am, a good hour after the time he set his alarm the night before - or, apparently, the time he _thought_ he set it for.

The savory smell of his mother's coffee and bacon still hangs heavy in the air as he flies down the stairs, but there is no time to make a pit stop in the kitchen. Tidus shoulders his backpack and is already halfway out the door by the time he calls out, "Sorry, Ma, running late! See you after practice!"

It's drizzling outside by the time he starts sprinting to school. As he charges through puddles and makes some risky maneuvers across the traffic-ridden streets, Tidus racks his brain for a way to turn this unfortunate bout of weather into an acceptable excuse for his tardiness. It doesn't take him long to determine that it's useless. Not only is it completely ridiculous for a blitzball player to be deterred by a little sprinkling of water, it's equally as ridiculous to think that Coach Jecht will accept any kind of excuse for missing a mandatory morning scrimmage - other than death or severe hospitalization.

_Always so compassionate, old man_, Tidus thinks dryly to himself as he barrels through the student parking lot to the sound of protesting car horns. From there, it's only a quick hop over the chain link fence that divides the sporting field from the front quad of Zanarkand High. He can already see his teammates huddled in the distance, stretching and guzzling water as if they'd already completed a successful scrimmage without him.

The vibrant red hair of his best friend, Wakka, is easy to spot in the huddle as he turns around to see Tidus running toward them. The other teammates follow suit and exchange a few glances and grins that seem to convey a strange combination of relief and fear.

"Hey!" Tidus calls out to his team, waving a hand in the air as he hurries across the damp field. When he finally approaches them, he's already heaving and sweating just as much as everyone else because surely a three mile sprint from his house will suffice for a morning workout. Wakka doesn't even dare to greet Tidus with his usual clap on the back, fist bump, or headlock. Instead, the teammates silently step away from the huddle to reveal their thoroughly unamused coach.

"Well, well, well," says Jecht with his arms crossed and eyes hardened. "Look who decided to join us this morning."

Tidus winces and scratches the back of his disheveled blond head sheepishly. Jecht never goes easy on him - not as his coach or his father.

"You know, funny thing about alarm clocks," Tidus begins flippantly. "They gotta be turned on before they start working."

His comment garners him a few hesitant snickers from his teammates, which are promptly stifled as soon as their coach shoots them a stern warning glance.

"You missed the whole damn scrimmage," Jecht reminds him gruffly, taking a slow step toward his son. "What the hell's the matter with you, boy?"

Tidus visibly deflates as his father begins his onslaught of reprimands. "I told you, I-"

"I know it's your last semester, but this better not be senioritis going to your stupid head," The coach warns. "You think just 'cause we made it into the blitz championship we get to slack off now?"

"No, sir," Tidus mumbles to the ground.

"You think you're better than everyone else? Just 'cause you get some attention from the ladies you think you're some kinda superstar?" Jecht continues, his voice rising dangerously with anger. The burly man takes another stride toward Tidus to speak right at his son's face. "Lemme tell ya somethin', boy. You're no superstar. Those college scouts ain't even gonna _glance_ at a kid who can't even make it to practice on time. Look at me when I'm talkin' to you!"

Slowly and gravely, Tidus lifts his head at his father's command. All traces of amusement have vanished from the boy's face as he locks a challenging gaze with Jecht.

Without breaking eye contact, the man flashes an unexpected smirk. "What, gonna go cry about it now?"

Tidus' intense glare doesn't waver even as he musters a strangled, "No."

"Better not. 'Cause we've got work to do before the championship, Abes," Jecht says. "What's our goal?"

The shaken teammates reply with a lackluster chorus of, "Victory."

Jecht scoffs. "Didn't realize I was coaching a bunch of wusses. I said, what's our goal?"

"Victory!" The team - minus Tidus - repeats with a bit more zeal.

"That's right. Now hit the showers and head to class," The coach instructs, causing a majority of the team to disperse from their huddle and hurry toward the locker room. Jecht turns on his heel to leave as well, but not before throwing a sinister glance over his shoulder at Tidus. "Maybe by then your team captain won't be such a little good-fer-nothin' punk."

Yes. Definitely an unfavorable day.

Tidus watches his father's retreating back until he disappears inside the school building. Even then, the boy remains perfectly motionless, his expression still contorted into a spiteful scowl. He can feel the familiar need to scream bubbling up inside his chest like rising lava, but keeps it all bottled up. Screaming means weakness, and being weak means that his father wins. For as long as he can remember, Tidus lives his entire life making sure that his father doesn't win - or, at least, doesn't know that he wins. Tidus doesn't budge until he feels a sturdy hand come down on his shoulder.

"Ouch, that was harsh, ya?" Wakka consoles in his thick Besaid accent, appearing at his friend's side. "You okay?"

"Yeah, whatever, I'm fine," Tidus answers quickly. He already begins to loosen up now that his father's intimidating presence has left the vicinity. "God, I hate him."

Wakka chuckles under his breath and even has the audacity to return to his usual ways by swinging a strong arm around his best friend's neck to catch him in a brotherly headlock. "I know, I know. You say it all the time. Might wanna try sayin' it to the rotten son of a shoopuf himself sometime, ya?"

"Yeah, right!" Tidus squirms helplessly against Wakka's hold. His redheaded friend has always been bigger and more capable of holding him in his clutches until he takes enough pity to release him. Tidus finally shakes himself free and rolls his shoulders back and forth in complaint. "The only thing worse than getting your ass chewed out by your old man in front of the entire team is getting clocked in the face by your old man in front of the entire team."

With a lighthearted grin, Wakka waves a hand cavalierly. "Ah, don't worry about us, brudda. You'll always be our mighty captain, no matter what. Once an Abe, always an Abe, ya?"

It isn't necessarily difficult to lift Tidus' damaged - and already quite resilient - spirits, but Wakka has the uncanny ability to do it right. The blond boy is all smiles again as he aims a playful punch at Wakka's broad shoulder. "You got that right," He cheers.

For someone who grew up without a father, Wakka certainly hows how to curve the angst on Tidus' daddy issues. In fact, the carefree pair have a mutual knack for curving the angst on any situation - a bad breakup, a failed pop quiz, an injured leg during a blitzball game. The two have been through it all, side by side through their years of laughter and friendship.

"_Hey_, hiya!" A high-pitched voice calls out through the gentle patter of rain. Tidus and Wakka both cease their horseplay to look over at the chain link fence where their tomboyish friend Rikku is jumping up and down by the perimeter. Her field hockey stick is hanging haphazardly out the top of her backpack and her usual bouncy ponytail is slightly more saggy due to the drizzle, but she still manages to make her tiny and excitable presence known.

The two boys race to the fence where they are greeted by Rikku's bright and vaguely accusing Al Bhed eyes.

"So am I going completely wacky or did I see you skipping out on blitz practice this morning?" Rikku teases as she pokes a finger against Tidus' athletic chest. "Not very becoming of Zanarkand's favorite heartthrob!"

Wakka, unafraid of the consequences, throws his head back in a booming guffaw and ruffles a hand through Tidus' already drastic case of bed head. "Don't even bring it up, ya? He already got a big 'ol mouthful from coach."

"Gee, thanks a lot!" Tidus barks, swatting the hands of his friends away to the sound of their good-intentioned laughter. "I just might've-maybe overslept a little… Honest mistake, right?"

Much to Tidus' chagrin, the playfully unconvinced glance shared between Rikku and Wakka doesn't go unnoticed. The peppy field hockey player quickly reaches over the fence to tug on the sleeve of her blond friend's jacket. "Hey, no frowns allowed! Today's gonna be a good day."

"Oh, yeah?" The corner of Tidus' mouth twitches upward. "Got any proof?"

"Because I say so!"

Rikku makes the perfect addition to Tidus and Wakka's dynamic duo. The three jocks reign supreme at Zanarkand High, ruling the social sphere with fun-loving attitudes and impeccable extroversion. Funnily enough, Tidus can recall back to their earlier high school years when the trio's friendship hadn't been such smooth sailing over the tremulous social waters. It has taken Wakka a while to warm up to Rikku and her blatant Al Bhed heritage, but when it comes to the race's stereotype for pretentiousness, not even the stubborn redhead can deny the girl's innate down-to-earthness.

A distant rumble of thunder interrupts the trio's animated chatter. Tidus and Wakka both avert their attention to the sky, but Rikku, ever perceptive, spins around to examine the student parking lot.

"_Whoa_…" Wakka openly gawks when his gaze follows Rikku's lead.

It hadn't been thunder that was obscurely rumbling in the distance - rather, a very slick and expensive-looking car with an engine that purrs like an elegant beast. Small raindrops thump rhythmically against the polished exterior, but easily roll down the inky black paint job. The metal masterpiece is sitting idly in front of the quad, right against the curb, and is already attracting a few stares and impressed whispers from nearby students.

"Uh, what's up with _that_? Did someone win the lottery?" Tidus wonders aloud because, clearly, no student at Zanarkand High can afford such a luxury vehicle.

Bouncing excitedly on her toes, Rikku spins back around to face her friends. Her hands grip onto the fence that separates them and leans in with a conspiratorial grin. "That's gotta be Mayor Braska's daughter! Apparently she just transferred here for her last semester. Pretty weird, huh?"

Tidus and Wakka share a bewildered look. Rikku's seemingly endless supply of Zanarkand High gossip has never led them astray before, so they have no reason to distrust her now. It just seems strange, in their opinion, that someone would go to the trouble of transferring schools with only one semester left before graduation - let alone a public school when she can clearly afford something more prestigious.

There is a collective holding of breath when the driver's door of the car opens. A mysterious and strong-looking man in a sharp suit makes his way around the car to the back seat, opening up an umbrella that he pulls, seemingly, out of thin air. The tension is cranked up a notch when the back door swings open slowly. With care and unearthly grace, a beautiful girl steps out of the car and under the safety of the umbrella that is still being held by her driver. Even from afar, her delicate features are noticeable - the gentle curve of her pale cheek bones, the pink pout of her lips, and the softness of her chestnut hair as it swings just above her shoulders while she glances curiously around the quad.

"No denyin', that's _definitely_ the mayor's daughter. Can't even drive herself to school or get a little wet," Wakka grins and jabs Tidus with his elbow knowingly. "She's kinda cute, though, ya?"

Tidus is still a little too fixated on the girl's lips when he feels Wakka nudge his side. He returns to reality a beat too late, shaking his head absently as he meets his friends' quizzical stares.

"Huh?" He blubbers awkwardly.

Rikku segues the attention away from their distracted friend and onto Wakka, hands planting on her hips defiantly. "Don't get any ideas, mister! I'll tell Lulu, you know."

Wakka snaps to attention at the mention of his short-tempered girlfriend. Lulu and Wakka have been together since their freshman year and make quite the unexpected couple. The dark-haired girl, who wears copious amounts of black eyeliner and purple lipstick, is as quiet as she is terrifying. She and Wakka have their fair share of bickering, but also their tender moments of affection - when they think no one is watching, that is.

"Gimme a break!" Wakka cries with a faint blush on his tanned cheeks. "I don't got any ideas. _Zero_. You know Lu's the only girl for me."

"Yeah, yeah. Sounds like someone's trying to cover their ass!"

As the sounds of his friends' playful banter fade into the background, Tidus allows his mind to wander once again. The mayor's daughter is still lingering by the car door, nodding wordlessly as her driver speaks to her in what appears to be a hushed tone. Although her shoulders are back and her posture is straight, she keeps her arms close to her side and her head hung low. Tidus can't help but wonder why she looks so sad.

"Well, if it isn't my _favorite_ Zanarkand threesome," A painfully snarky voice approaches the group from across the quad. They don't even have to turn around to know that they're about to receive an unwelcome visit from Gippal and his Al Bhed cronies.

The tall, blond, and strikingly handsome boy is social royalty in his own right, mostly due to his captaincy of the Al Bhed Psyches, home team of the neighboring Al Bhed Prep and - more importantly - the Zanarkand Abes' main competition at the upcoming blitzball championship. Al Bhed Prep sits merely one block down from Zanarkand High and boasts a top-notch private education exclusively for Al Bhed students. It embodies all the pompousness and flamboyancy that Al Bheds are often criticized for - and so does Gippal himself.

"You better beat it, Psyches," Tidus snaps at the rivaling team as they assume their position dutifully behind Gippal. "This is Abes territory."

Gippal mockingly places a hand over his heart. "Aw, and miss out on this fun little party?" He shifts his smirk over at Rikku, who is already grimacing. "Hey there, Rikku. You're looking delicious, as always."

The blond girl whips her field hockey stick out from her bag and holds it out like a weapon, poised for battle. "Stop being so icky!"

Tidus can also recall back to a time - more specifically, sophomore year - when Rikku and Gippal had actually been an item. It hadn't been an ideal situation for her two friends, who were both fiercely loyal to their blitzball team, but they endured Gippal's haughtiness for the sake of Rikku. To this day it still remains a mystery as to why their relationship ended. Rikku doesn't particularly enjoy discussing it and neither Tidus nor Wakka have ever dared to pry - their tiny friend is actually much stronger than she looks.

Gippal laughs breezily and swipes a hand through his damp, spiky hair. "So, gang, what are we up to? Lamenting over the things that are too good for us? Like blitzball championships and daughters of the mayor?" He motions with his head toward the fancy car that is still humming expensively in front of the quad while his teammates chortle in appreciation.

"I wouldn't start celebratin' just yet," warns Wakka, his tempter flaring. "The Abes are plannin' on ending this year with a bang - and that includes wipin' the floor with your spoiled Al Bhed asses, ya!"

Gippal's eyes widen, as if he's honestly shocked that Wakka is capable of forming coherent sentences. "Ooh, how intimidating," He deadpans. The boy's spiral eyes skirt over to Tidus, who has opted for glaring rather than arguing. "And so what about the mayor's daughter, huh? Are you also planning on ending that with a _bang_…?"

"Hey, hold on a sec, buddy," Tidus charges forward, in front of Wakka, to get as close to Gippal as he can be with the fence still separating them. The Al Bhed boy doesn't even flinch. "You seriously wanna take this fight out of the arena? 'Cause I say bring it on, but I'm not gonna sit around and let the likes of you tell us what we are and aren't good enough for. Got it?"

The same smirk is still plastered across Gippal's face as he folds his arms in retaliation. "It just sounds to me like you're scared, _superstar_."

"Scared?" Tidus makes a face, his nose crinkling in disdain. "Me? You're full of it."

"I mean," Gippal begins to explain with exaggerated nonchalance. "Obviously a guy who's not worthy of a blitz championship wouldn't be worthy of a lady like _that_, yeah?"

The way Gippal's sidekicks begin roaring with laughter really starts to grate at Tidus' nerves. He feels the familiar itch to erupt again, just like he had with his father.

"I bet you don't even _know_ what I'm worthy of!" Tidus thunders, effectively cutting through the annoying chuckles from the Psyches. "The blitz championship _and_ a girl like that. No problem," The blond boy sneaks a glance at the pretty brunette, silently praying that the slight redness on his cheeks doesn't take away from his coercion.

Suddenly, Gippal's eyes are twinkling with amusement. He taps a finger against his chin thoughtfully as a low chuckle rumbles inside his throat. "Bet? Hm… This could be fun."

"Spit it out," Tidus demands.

"If you really think you can pull it off, then prove it," Gippal proposes eerily. "If you seal the deal with the mayor's daughter by the day of the tournament, I'll willingly drop out of the final championship game."

Gippal's claim is met with outraged murmurs from his teammates, but the Al Bhed captain remains stoic as he awaits Tidus' reply.

"And if I don't?" asks the boy.

Gippal grins dangerously. "Then _you_ have to willingly drop out of the final game."

Tidus opens his mouth impulsively, but Wakka is suddenly interrupting him with a boisterous cry of, "whoa, whoa, _whoa_" just as Rikku chimes in with a shrill, "hold your chocobos" in the Al Bhed language.

"Time out!" Wakka yanks Tidus away from Gippal by the back of his jacket. "We gotta talk this one through, ya?"

"Huddle, team!" Rikku concurs frantically. Gippal takes a curious step forward, but the Al Bhed girl sticks out her hands to halt his movement. "Nuh-uh. Good guys over here and big meanies stay right where you are!"

The Psyches share a round of incredulous scoffs, but otherwise obey the command. Meanwhile, Rikku hops the chain link fence to join the makeshift huddle that Wakka is now dragging Tidus into.

"_Dude_," Wakka scolds in a hushed whisper. "You been takin' too many blitzballs to the head or somethin'? You lose this bet and you could be puttin' the whole team at risk by not playin' in the championship. You're our secret weapon, brudda!"

Rikku issues a swift smack to Tidus' head and the boy whines in protest. "Yeah, you big dope!"

"Not to mention you'd be blowin' your chances at gettin' noticed by college scouts," Wakka quickly reminds his friend. "The big ones always show up to the final game, ya know?"

"And what about your dad?" Rikku pipes up. "Just think of all the craziness that'll happen when you tell him you're dropping out!"

"I don't owe my old man anything. Besides," Tidus flashes his friends a cheeky smile despite their warnings. "I'm not planning on losing, guys. I'm gonna play the championship game, put Gippal and the Psyches in their place, _and_ score with the new girl. Trust me! I've got ladies lining up at my locker every morning just to say hi. This'll be a piece of cake."

Wakka and Rikku share another wary glance even though they know that their friend has a point. If any boy at Zanarkand High can make a girl fall at his feet, it's Tidus. They also know that the boy's brash competitiveness cannot be stifled no matter how many excuses they attempt to drown him in. At this point, it's either his way or the highway and - in this case - the highway is just going to circle back to his original destination.

"I just got dissed by my father in front of the entire team so I'm not about to let the Psyches do the same," Tidus adds, just in case his friends need more convincing. "That's more than enough public humiliation for one morning."

Rikku is quickly grinning along with Tidus. "I _do_ really wanna see Gippal's face when you totally show him up!"

"Whatever you think is best, captain," Wakka agrees with a little less spirit than Tidus would've liked - though he knows it won't take long for the thick-headed redhead to warm up to their grand scheme.

Tidus pumps his fist energetically and then extends his hand out into the middle of their small huddle. Rikku places her hand over his, soon followed by Wakka. "Let's do this!" The blond boy exclaims.

Their huddle disperses slowly. Rikku begins bouncing in place again while Wakka anxiously scratches the back of his head, and Tidus makes his proud march back toward the fence.

"Gippal," He announces confidently and holds out his hand. "You're on."

The Psyches are buzzing excitedly now as Gippal meets Tidus' firm handshake with another smirk. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"Yeah, yeah," Wakka sighs loudly as he waves his hand dismissively at the opposing team. "Now that we got that all settled, get off our turf, Al Bhed!"

"With pleasure," Gippal scoffs. "And good luck to you. You're gonna need it."

The Al Bhed blitzers begin filing away from the field, making their way off the quad. Gippal stays behind long enough to wink at Rikku, which causes the girl to take a swing with her field hockey stick that Gippal dodges artfully. He joins his fellow teammates and together they make their way back to Al Bhed Prep.

"Ooh, what I would give for one good whack!" Rikku whines childishly once the Al Bheds are out of earshot, taking another swipe at the air with her stick.

"Don't even sweat it," Tidus stretches his arms over his head idly. "We're gonna get our revenge."

Rikku giggles and prances her way over to the fence, leaning against it wistfully as she watches the mayor's daughter get escorted through the rain. "Hey, you better get going if you wanna get a head start on this super-duper secret mission. Code red, the eagle is landing!"

Tidus quickly looks toward the front of the building. The mayor's daughter has already made it across the parking lot and is now standing beneath the overhang at the main doors. Her driver leans in to tell her something and the girl simply nods in reply. He looks hesitant to part ways, but the mayor's daughter appears to reassure him before he turns and heads back to the immaculate car. The engine gives a smooth hum as he circles the lot and then turns out onto the street.

"Hey," Wakka calls out to catch his best friend's attention. Tidus looks over at the redhead and groans when he feels the boy's hand once again ruffling through his messy locks. "Go make 'er swoon, ya?"

Tidus laughs, relieved that Wakka is already beginning to loosen up about the idea. He punches at his friend's retreating hand and then gives a lively salute. "Aye, aye, boss!"

Wakka runs back across the field toward the locker room while Rikku waves and hurries back to the quad. Tidus is left alone just long enough to catch the mayor's daughter's backside retreating through the front doors of the school. With impressive skill, he swings himself over the chain link fence and jogs his way after her just as the first bell of the day beckons the students inside. Tidus grins.

Let the games begin.

**tbc**

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**A/N: Obviously I watch too many rom-coms. Either that or I have way too much free time on my hands. The world may never know. Thanks for reading, reviewing, and staying tuned for the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Enjoy another chapter of this before I start returning to my previous projects for a bit. Let's see how many stories I can juggle at once! That'll be fun, right? ...Right?**

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**THE GAME OF LOVE: Chapter 2**

"Hey, babe, lookin' good!"

Yuna keeps her head down and her books pulled tightly into her chest as she passes by the rowdy gaggle of obnoxious teenaged males gathered in the hallway. A few of them offer high-fives to one another when they notice a rosy blush creep onto the young girl's cheeks, but none of them are bright enough to sense that it spurs from discomfort rather than flattery.

After only sixteen minutes and thirty-four seconds (not that she's counting), Yuna realizes that she is thoroughly unprepared for the foreign plight that is Zanarkand High.

The girl has lived a tragically sheltered life up until a few weeks ago when she initially made the decision to attend public school - a decision that was met with much shock and confusion. Her father had fruitlessly attempted to seduce her with offers from the best private institutions around, but soft-spoken Yuna was impressively resolute. And it must be said that the daughter of the Mayor usually gets what she wants. _I'll never learn to fend for myself if I don't jump headfirst into the unknown_, Yuna remembers telling her father with earnest determination.

Though, so far, her jump has been more of a free-fall and the depths below are laden with ill-mannered peers and filthy restrooms.

Still, Yuna pushes forward with quiet fortitude and a practiced smile. Navigating the hallways and stomaching the cafeteria food are simply minor obstacles that will soon become a part of her daily life, she's convinced. Yuna examines a small slip of paper in her hand, the one she'd received from the main office's apathetic secretary with her locker number and combination messily scrawled on it. She glances up at the locker before her - just to double check.

It takes her an embarrassingly significant amount of attempts before she conquers the lock and swings the door open with an unwelcoming squeak. The shelf is encrusted with a thin layer of dust and the small hook in the back that is supposedly intended to hang her raincoat looks more rusty than secure. Yuna carefully stacks her books onto the grungy shelf and closes her locker door, silently reminding herself that she is the one who chose this fate.

Her self-reassurance is interrupted, however, when a swarm of giggling students rush past her through the congested hallway. Yuna turns around just in time to receive a sharp shove from an oblivious shoulder and the sheer force of the impact sends her stumbling. She struggles to get her footing, regain her balance, or grab onto something to prevent a fall, but a direct encounter with the slippery tile floor seems inevitable at this point.

That is, until she feels a pair of strong arms holding her up.

"Whoa there!" Her savior exclaims. Yuna is a bewildered mess as she steals a glance at the boy who caught her fall.

"Oh…" She feels her cheeks heat up beneath her skin. The blond boy is smiling at her - brilliantly, she might add - as if he hasn't just witnessed her almost collide into the ground. "I'm sorry, please forgive me."

"Well, howdy," The boy greets delightedly. He doesn't appear to be in a hurry to remove his arms that are still wrapping solidly around Yuna's waist. "I was coming over to pick up my textbooks, but so far I kinda prefer _this_ pick up."

Yuna is suddenly hyper-aware of her vise grip on her savior's tanned biceps. She blinks her wide eyes in a flurry and retracts her hands now that she feels steady enough to stand on her own. "Excuse me?"

The boy nods toward the row of lockers. "Gotta get my textbooks from my locker," He explains again. "Looks like it's right next to yours."

"I see," says Yuna, a bit awkwardly. The boy chuckles with that same dazzling grin stretched across his face and removes his arms, giving Yuna a friendly pat on the shoulder as he walks past to his locker. She spins around on the spot and figures that this is as good a time as any to get a better look at her savior.

Immediately, Yuna safely assumes that he plays some kind of sport - the boy is far too tall, muscular, and confident to not be an athlete. He twirls open the lock to his locker, which is, as he said, beside Yuna's. Shaggy and slightly rain-dampened blond hair falls into his alert eyes as he quickly stuffs a few books into his worn backpack.

"Thank you," Yuna speaks up as if suddenly remembering her manners. The boy perks up from his bag, excited and bright. "For catching me."

"Hey, don't sweat it!" The blond athlete chirps, shutting his locker with a hefty push. "It's not like I was just gonna let you fall, you know," He swings his backpack over his shoulder and extends an energized hand toward Yuna. "I'm Tidus, by the way."

He looks at her with that smile of his and she can't help but join in - it's too infectious. Her gentle hand meets his own. "Yuna."

"The mayor's daughter, right?" He confirms.

Yuna nods. She isn't very surprised to hear that her presence at this school has already been discussed. "Yes, that's me."

"Right. So, uh, tell me, Yuna," Tidus speaks her name slowly - as if enjoying the way it sounds leaving his lips - and leans a shoulder against the row of lockers to face her with playful smugness. "You usually make a habit out of falling into random people's arms or am I just crazy lucky?"

Yuna buries her face into her palms and soon they both start to chuckle.

"It's so embarrassing," She giggles with pink cheeks, dropping her hands after tucking some of her brunette hair behind her ear. "It must be the nerves getting the better of me."

Tidus scrunches up his nose. "Nerves? You don't have to be nervous about this 'ol place."

"Well…" Yuna begins before promptly cutting herself off, struggling for the right words. Her bi-colored eyes flicker downward and away from Tidus' fading smirk.

Thankfully, Tidus is observant enough to understand Yuna's troubles without a single word. He can't quite explain it - but he can feel it. "First day at public school, huh?" He guesses. Yuna nods, slightly crestfallen. "Well, lemme tell ya, Yuna - you fell into the right person today. I know this place like the back of a blitzball. Consider me your personal tour guide."

Yuna looks up. Judging by the grin that is settling back on Tidus' face, it seems clear that his offer is intended to lighten her spirits - which is startling, to say the least. The girl hasn't been expecting to make friends so quickly, let alone on her very first day. _Especially friends of this caliber_, she thinks privately. This grinning, tanned skin adonis is the last person Yuna would expect to start chatting with the mayor's quiet daughter and, yet, here he stands with an offer that is entirely too difficult to refuse.

But Yuna finds a way. "That's very nice of you, but I wouldn't want you to go to the trouble…"

"It's no trouble at all! I _want_ to do it," Tidus is quick to clarify. He pushes himself off the lockers and narrows his eyes teasingly at Yuna. "'Cause, you know, you _are_ the one who bumped into me, which was kinda rude so… You kinda owe me one," His facade barely lasts long enough before he's beaming again. "So whaddaya say? Let me be your guide."

Again, Yuna finds herself utterly spellbound by the boy's charm and smiles graciously. "Okay. During free period, then?"

Tidus pumps his fist in success. "You got it! I'll meet you first thing right here in this spot, 'kay?"

Yuna glances around, looking adorably overwhelmed by all the throngs of students passing through the hall. Tidus perks up with an idea.

"And if you can't find me, just, uh, do this-" With practiced speed, he moves his thumb and index finger into the front of his mouth and blows out a piercing whistle that catches the attention of a few passersby - including Yuna, who nearly jumps at the sound.

"How did you…?" She wonders incredulously, eyes wide with curiosity.

Tidus laughs and straightens his back proudly. "It's a blitzball thing. It's how we get each other's attention in the arena, like - 'go for the goal when I pass this off to you' or 'hey, watch out for the guy coming in with a tackle on your left'! You know?"

Yuna grins, but still looks a bit stirred so Tidus eagerly holds out his fingers in the whistling position to demonstrate. "It's like this. Just put it right in front of your teeth and go for it!"

She carefully examines his fingers, gracelessly attempting to position her own in the same fashion with a concentrated pout that - admittedly - Tidus finds adorable. All that comes from her mouth is the silent tremor of air passing through her lips. "It's harder than it looks," comments Yuna.

"You'll get the hang of it," Tidus assures her. "But for now, we'll just agree to meet right here during free period. I'll be waiting so you won't get lost - promise."

The promise is simple enough, but it manages to fill Yuna's spirits with such a glow that it quickly becomes evident in her face. "Okay. It's a promise."

The school bell rings in the nick of time and the hallway suddenly becomes even more buzzed than it had been before. Tidus bends his knees and rolls his shoulders as if preparing for a sprint, then points to the floor below their feet. "Right on. So remember - right here. Don't forget!"

Yuna shakes her head cheerfully. "I won't."

"And don't go running off with some other guy before then," He warns with an eyebrow raised facetiously. "Today you're mine."

Her cheeks are burning from this comment, smiling shyly as Tidus squeezes her shoulder in farewell. The young athlete takes off down the hall, not quite at a sprint, but a light jog that clearly fuels his seemingly never-ending supply of energy. Yuna turns to watch him go until he's lost among the crowds of classmates.

And then she thinks that after twenty-nine minutes and fifty seconds (she's still not counting) at Zanarkand High, things are finally starting to look up.

* * *

When Tidus bounds through the door of his homeroom class, he catches a glimpse of Rikku taking a myriad of silly selfies from her usual seat near the back. He grins as he stealthily makes his way toward her, sliding into the desk directly behind her to appear over her shoulder. The Al Bhed girl doesn't even notice her friend's presence until she snaps a picture with Tidus in the background, sticking his tongue out foolishly.

"Hey, photo-bomber!" Rikku accuses, turning around in her seat to smack Tidus repeatedly. The boy laughs and tries to block the incoming attack by shielding himself with his arms.

"You should put that one on instagram," He suggests cheekily. "And then tag it as - 'hashtag-future-blitz-champ, hashtag-sealing-the-deal'."

Rikku ceases her barrage of punches and allows her jaw to drop open knowingly. "Does that mean you went in for the kill or what?"

Tidus leans back in his seat, resting his hands behind his head, and smirks coolly. "I mean, all I'll say is that _this_ guy's got a free period date this afternoon."

"_Booyah_!" cheers Rikku, grabbing onto the back of her chair and bouncing in place with untamed excitement. "Spill the beans, spill the beans!"

"Don't spare the details, brudda," Wakka is suddenly clambering into the desk beside Tidus, leaning in toward his friends. His concerns regarding the bet have since vanished if his broad smile is anything to go by. "Letty told Keepa who told me that he saw _you_ schmoozin' at your locker this morning. I can taste victory already, ya?"

Tidus reaches his hand out to accept Wakka's congratulatory fist bump, but can't help feeling strangely detached from his friends' enthusiasm - as if that brief moment he shared with Yuna is their's alone. "There's not much to tell, you know? I'm showing her around during free period so all I gotta do is play up the charm, throw in some compliments, and we'll be golden."

"Is she pretty?" Rikku asks dreamily, resting her chin in her hands.

"Not pretty," He says with a smile. "Beautiful."

"So when do we get to meet her?" She pokes at Tidus' arm impatiently and even Wakka perks up curiously.

"Hey!" The blond boy whines, giving each of his friends an incredulous glance. "This is a one person job, you know!"

Wakka grunts crabbily. "You think you gonna get through the whole semester with this girl without introducing her to your friends? Face it, brudda. You wanna follow this thing through, you gotta _commit_."

It's clear that this inevitable fact hasn't ever occurred to Tidus until right this moment. Pursuing a girl for fun has always been a solo mission with very little involvement from others, but this chase isn't just for personal enjoyment. His own fate hangs in the balance - along with the fate of his team. As a dutiful captain, Tidus knows that failure isn't an option, which means he just might have to pull a few more strings than usual.

And these strings include - as Wakka said - _commitment_.

"Alright, alright, you have a point," Tidus admits grouchily, folding his arms across his chest. "But when you guys meet her, you can't be obvious about all this, 'kay? Just act like everything's cool," He turns to point an accusing finger at Wakka. "And we _can't_ tell Lulu about the bet."

"_Whaaaat_?" The redhead bellows, outraged. "We gotta _lie_ to 'er? What's that about, ya?"

"It's not exactly lying," Rikku adds helpfully. "It's just like… not telling her the whole truth."

Wakka shrinks down into his seat, scowling dubiously as he mutters, "You know I can't keep things from Lu."

"C'mon, Wakka," Tidus issues a genial punch to his best friend's shoulder. "You know what'll happen if we let her in on this. She'll unleash the crazy on us and get all mad-"

"Like, worse than sophomore-year-pregnancy-scare mad," Rikku blurts out.

Tidus flicks the girl's blond ponytail as Wakka shudders from that terrifying memory.

"She'll think it's totally wrong and might blow our cover," continues Tidus. "And then we'll _really_ be screwed."

Despite knowing that his friend makes a realistic point, Wakka is still glaring skeptically at his desktop, entirely torn between his loyalty to his girlfriend and to the team. Tidus and Rikku's hopeful smiles, however, don't make it much of a fair fight and the redhead ends up groaning in defeat. "_Ahh_, alright, you got me. We don't tell Lulu about any of this."

"About any of what?"

The three friends twitch in their seats when they hear that calm, yet icy tone. Lulu stands over Wakka's desk, looking hauntingly beautiful with her long black tresses and dark makeup. Her thin purple lips are pulled tightly together as she drums her manicured nails expectantly against her boyfriend's desktop. There is a collective - but silent - gulp.

"Lu!" Wakka yelps, his deep voice suddenly pitched a few octaves higher than normal. "It's just a bunch of nothin', ya? We were, uh… just talkin' about, uh…"

"His leg!" Rikku squeals. Lulu glares at the Al Bhed girl suspiciously.

"Um, yeah!" Tidus pitches in while Wakka squirms uncomfortably in his seat. "The goofball hurt it pretty badly during the scrimmage this morning and he, uh… didn't wanna tell you 'cause he knew you'd be worried. Right, big guy?"

Wakka scratches the back of his head, flustered, and mumbles, "What're you-"

Rikku shifts in her seat and gives a swift kick to Wakka's knee with the toe of her boot that, miraculously, goes unnoticed by Lulu. The redhead howls out in pain, but when his girlfriend raises her eyebrows at him, he simply grimaces through a smile and shrugs, "Must be the damn leg actin' up again, ya?"

Tidus and Rikku nod vigorously while Lulu stares blankly at Wakka. They all appear to be holding their breath until the raven-haired beauty cracks somewhat of a smirk as she takes her seat in front of her boyfriend.

"You're going to get yourself killed out there one day," She chides softly. "And then you won't even be around for me to say I told you so."

"Yeah, pretty tragic, right?" Wakka agrees dryly, glaring daggers as Tidus hides his amusement into the palm of his hand.

"Say, Lulu," Rikku starts to catch the taller girl's attention. "Heard anything about the new girl yet?"

Although Lulu makes a concerted effort to dissociate from the petty social pool at Zanarkand High, she has a mysterious knack for picking up information about all the goings-on at school - one that rivals Rikku's. However, the Al Bhed girl is much more straightforward when it comes to collecting her rumors while Lulu's technique involves the simplicity of remaining quiet and listening.

"Only that she's Mayor Braska's daughter and, apparently, travels in style," Lulu references back to the exquisite car that had been parked outside the school this morning. "Perhaps you should ask Tidus. It's been said that they've already been introduced."

Dumbfounded, Tidus peeks out from behind his hands. "Jeez, do rumors seriously travel _that_ fast around here?"

"So it's true?" Lulu presses, visibly showing her first genuine sign of intrigue as she turns around in her seat.

"Ah, Lu," Her redheaded boyfriend leans forward to settle his large hands on her delicate shoulders, gently massaging into the back of her neck with his thumbs. "Leave 'im be, ya?"

Tidus beams in silent praise of Wakka's successful deviation from the subject. "We're locker buddies so I figured I'd say hey. No big deal."

"But they _do_ have a free period date today," Rikku sings merrily. "So cute!"

"Just be cautious," Lulu narrows her stern eyes. "A girl is only a distraction. If you lose this tournament at the end of the year because your head isn't in the game, that's all Wakka will complain about for weeks."

Wakka, in response, grinds his thumbs into her back a little harder and Rikku can't help but giggle out loud. Tidus, however, leans back in his seat again with a complaisant air about him.

"Thanks for the concern," He says with a smirk. "But trust me - I've got this all under control."

**tbc**

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! It's nearly 3am for me so I'm completely brain-dead. Just pretend that my closing statement here is witty, cute, and makes you wanna stick around for the next chapter! ;) **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Finishing this chapter was the epitome of a spiraling pit of doom. Sometimes words are not my friend, ladies and gents. Let's leave it at that. But a few frustrating days later, here I am! Enjoy and all that good stuff. **

**Also, there's a fair amount of Al Bhed banter in this chapter. There's going to be a translation list at the end, so don't fret about finding an online translator. :) **

* * *

**THE GAME OF LOVE: Chapter 3**

As promised, Tidus was waiting for Yuna not even a minute after the bell for free period rang. She had approached him slowly, only to find him entertaining a small audience of classmates gathered in a huddle by their lockers. He spoke animatedly to their admiring faces, garnering chuckles and smiles from his anecdotes.

_Quite the charmer_, Yuna reflects fondly. Entertaining a group of peers isn't a skill that she's been blessed with, but Tidus makes it appear so effortless. As if sensing her presence, his eyes skid to the side to spot her patiently waiting, hands clasped in front of her body. The boy flashes the same smile that is most likely responsible for hooking his fellow peers in the first place, and then waves heartily at Yuna. He turns back to his small audience to excuse himself and accepts a few high-fives - from the boys - and shy compliments - from the girls - before striding over to the brunette.

_And yet he sees something in _me_._

"Ready to get this show on the road?" He asks.

Yuna, with a faint blush and a quick nod, replies, "Lead the way."

As it turns out, Tidus is the ideal candidate for a newcomer's guide around Zanarkand High. He navigates the halls with ease and finesse, spouting tips and information about all the important landmarks they pass. He warns Yuna about the faulty printers in the computer lab, shares his secret shortcuts to avoid hallway traffic, and even suggests that she learn the cafeteria ladies' names so that she can get on their good side. He speaks with all the confidence and passion of a beloved old pro and it doesn't take Yuna long to figure out that that's precisely what Tidus is in the eyes of the student body.

But it isn't until he takes her outside (now that the weather has started to clear), leads her up to the top tier of the metal bleachers, and takes a seat that he deems their tour complete.

"This is where you play blitzball," She remarks, gazing over the grassy field below them.

"Well, this is just where we practice," Tidus explains. "You're supposed to play underwater so our games are usually over at the rec center stadium."

Yuna turns to him. "And that's where your big championship game will be?"

"You bet! The whole town's gonna be there. Not to mention the college scouts," His energy turns uncharacteristically pensive as he leans his elbows on his knees. "If I play a good game, there's no way Zanarkand University will turn me down."

She smiles good-naturedly at the whimsical tone in his voice and the faraway look in his eyes. "What's so appealing about your Zanarkand University, anyway?"

Tidus steals a glance out of the corner of his eye and holds her gaze for a moment before admitting sheepishly, "It's kinda lame."

"I won't judge," Yuna says encouragingly. "Cross my heart."

It is with tentative amusement that Tidus finally turns to look at Yuna. Her smile is steady - patient and gentle as she awaits his continuation. The blond runs a hand through his hair as he exhales with resignation and, once again, shifts his gaze away from her bi-colored eyes.

"When I was a little kid, my old man used to take me to see blitz games there - probably only 'cause my mom made him," He mumbles quietly. "He told me to study up 'cause 'ZU players are the best of the best'. I remember walking into the stadium - it was like the whole city was glowing. All these lights and bright screens and cheering fans and the _energy_… I couldn't take my eyes off of it," Tidus looks out over the field, his eyes all aglow as if he were taking in the magnificence of the stadium for the first time again. "It felt magical to me, like if I could just be like one of those players up on the screen, then I knew I'd get my chance to make it big - to play in a stadium that sparkles and brings everyone together like that, you know?" A grin settles onto his face. "Ever since, I've wanted to go to Zanarkand U and play college blitz no matter what it takes."

"That's not lame," Yuna is quick to assure him. "It sounds like quite a dream."

"My old man tells me that dreams are for sleeping," Tidus scoffs somberly, his fists clenching atop his knees. "He doesn't think I have what it takes."

Yuna's composure doesn't waver. Although her stomach coils with something resembling sympathy, she merely nods her head and counters with the utmost certainty, "Then it's going to be even _more_ gratifying when you get accepted."

Slowly but surely, Tidus' white knuckles return to their usual tan color as Yuna's words reach his ears. His smile reappears and even stretches wider across his face, turning toward the girl and meeting her gaze in a silent giving of thanks for her unconditional support.

"So, uh," He shakes off the final vestiges of his sour mood and leans back with his hands behind his head, smirking brightly. "Is it my turn to ask the questions now?"

Yuna giggles. "If you want."

"Well, no offense," Tidus starts slowly. "But what's a girl like you doing at a public school? I thought the mayor's daughter could choose wherever she wants to go."

"She can," She replies easily. "But I chose here."

Tidus lifts an impish eyebrow. "Some kinda self-deprecation complex or something?"

Yuna laughs into her palm. "Surprisingly, no. I just needed a change," She wrings her hands together in her lap when the amusement fades. "My father is… very protective of me. I really do appreciate his concerns, but, at times, it can be a bit stifling. I thought that the easiest way to put myself out there would be to enter an environment I've never experienced before. New faces, new challenges, new rules."

"A clean slate," Tidus confirms. "Yeah, I get it."

"It's hard, though - harder than I expected," Yuna admits timidly. "I know it's only my first day, but I still feel invisible."

The young athlete shrugs. "That's 'cause you haven't even taken the first step yet."

"What?"

"Yeah! The very first step," Tidus sits up abruptly and meets Yuna's confusion with an ear-splitting grin. "If you wanna make yourself stand out, you gotta _make_ everyone else pay attention. Go big or go home, right? You just gotta let go of your inhibitions and scream it out -" He stands up on the metal bleacher, back straight and arms outstretched. "LOOK AT ME NOW, BITCHES!"

Yuna chokes out a laugh from shock and tugs gently on the bottom of his shorts to coax him down. "Oh my gosh, you're insane!"

"Now you gotta try."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me!" He ignores her tugs and beams down at her with childlike excitement. "Make 'em listen, Yuna. Take a stand and let it all out - LOOK AT ME NOW, BITCHES!"

Again, his booming shout echoes across the field until it vanishes into the nothingness in the distance. Yuna's cheeks flood with heat, her mouth slightly open and rounded as she remains startled by the challenge bestowed upon her.

"Hey, it's fine," Tidus, sensing her apprehension, softens his tone and offers her a hand. "There's no one around right now. This is just the warm-up before the real deal."

Yuna's tension visibly dissolves as she takes Tidus' hand and allows him to help her onto the bleacher. With a deep inhale - and still a fair amount of trepidation - she yells at the empty field, "Look at me now -"

"BITCHES!" He finishes for her.

She casts him a wary look. "Tidus…"

"C'mon, it's just a word," The boy smiles. "It gives it some emphasis. Try it again."

Yuna nibbles her bottom lip, then faces forward with newfound determination. "Look at me now… _bitches_."

"Yeah!" Tidus whoops loudly and waves his arms into the air. "You heard her!"

"Look at me now, bitches!"

"Right on!"

Then they cheer together, "LOOK AT ME NOW, BITCHES!"

Their shout is immediately followed by their roaring laughter, which fills the open air and drowns out their echoing call. Tidus throws his head back and plops himself down on the bleacher while Yuna bends over, wrapping an arm across her middle as her body pulsates with amusement.

"That was… the most ridiculous thing I've ever done," Yuna declares, her voice still trembling with laughter.

Tidus looks up at the clearing sky - the clouds are now a pale gray and soft rays of sunlight peek through whatever crevices they can find. His smile is stretched wide from the hilarity and his chest heaves to catch his breath. "How do you feel _now_?" He asks. "Less invisible?"

Yuna nods. "Only slightly transparent."

"Well, Bevelle wasn't built in a day," He reminds her cheerfully. "We'll just have to keep practicing - which means you aren't getting rid of me that easily."

She attempts to play along, but her smile gives her away. "What a shame."

Time passes and the sky slowly brightens to its usual pale blue. The field is streaked with thin beams of sunlight as the clouds slowly make their way across the wide expanse. Nearly all the remnants of the dreary morning have vanished and it's a good riddance. Atop the tiers of bleachers, with ongoing laughter and lively banter, the two seem engulfed in their own little world that shines brighter than the emerging sun - far away from doubt and negativity.

The bell pulls them from their reverie and the pair start descending from the top tier, but not before making a promise to meet in the same spot for the following day's free period.

* * *

Rikku unleashes a growl of frustration as she rolls out from underneath Wakka's elevated car, pulling her goggles off her oil-smeared face and tossing her wrench to the cold ground with a resounding clang.

"Oh, this is useless!" She gripes. "Pops tried it, Brother tried it, even _I_ tried it - nothing! Just get a new car already, yeah?"

Wakka, who has been lounging on the hood of his car, nearly chokes on his slurpee after digesting his friend's indignant complaint. "Just get a new car, she says. Like it's that easy!"

"You might as well be riding around on a prehistoric shoopuf!" The Al Bhed girl argues. "At least then your engine wouldn't give out every other time."

Tidus snorts in amusement from a safe distance away from the bickering pair. He keeps himself busy by kicking his blitzball around aimlessly just outside the entrance of the garage - more specifically Highwind's Hydraulics, Rikku's father's auto body shop.

Cid Highwind is known as the most talented mechanic in Zanarkand, a skill that has clearly been passed down to Rikku and her older brother, Brother. The family-owned business always seems to be booming with eager patrons, but a gracious perk of being Rikku's friend is getting priority for a free oil change or speedy tire replacement whenever they stop by during the girl's part-time hours. Or, in Wakka's case, a complete mechanical discectomy. The redhead's Machina 300 model is a frequent customer at Highwind's and the family always seems to find a miraculous way to salvage whatever is left of the ancient vehicle. Wakka calls it a classic. Everyone else calls it - rightfully so - a piece of junk.

"Man, do ya even know how many generations this car has been in the family?" Wakka grumbles woefully, tossing his empty slurpee cup into the nearby trashcan.

"Too many!"

"And Chappu's supposed to take it after I graduate, y'know?" The redhead continues as he ignores the Al Bhed's interjection. "It's a classic - never goes outta style! It's stayin'."

Rikku scrambles to her feet and points an accusing finger at him. "If you care about your little brother's safety - and the safety of everyone else on the road, for that matter - then you'll ditch the death trap and splurge on a new pair of wheels."

Wakka frowns pitifully. "But-"

"The master has spoken!" She waves her arms with a huff and rounds the car to gather up the rest of her haphazardly strewn tools.

"Rikku, cdub cbnaytehk meac!" An aggressive voice calls out from within the depths of the garage, piercing through the background noise of drilling power tools and the 80s station on the radio. "Oui cdemm ryja y mud du maynh."

A pout appears on Rikku's lips, an expression that can only be worthy of her big brother. She whirls around to holler back, "Crid ib, oui zang vyla!"

A blond mohawked head pops up from behind a blue Jeep and, without question, it's Rikku's brother - a college junior with copious amounts of ear piercings and tattoos littering his arms. He waves the crowbar in his hand above his head wildly. "Zang vyla? Dryd ec dra pacd oui lyh tu?"

"Cdehgan!"

"Meddma lremt!"

"Mucan-!"

"Yo, guys?" Tidus dribbles his ball a little closer to the action. "Did we forget our happy pills this morning?"

Brother disappears behind the Jeep again and Rikku spins back around, clasping her hands innocently behind her back. "Sorry, sorry…"

Wakka shakes his head good-naturedly and mutters something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like _'hot-blooded Al Bheds'_. His fists plant firmly on his hips. "So how am I supposed to get around this weekend with a busted car, ya?"

Tidus jogs over to his friend, the blitzball still lingering skillfully around his feet. "Something going on this weekend?"

"Beats me," Wakka admits with a shrug. "But if there is, I wanna be prepared, y'know?"

"Hey, I know!" Rikku jumps up. "Gippal texted me about his house party on Saturday night. His parents are out of town so he's having a bunch of people over."

The two blitzers share a skeptical look. "Uh… Since when do you and _Gippal_ text about weekend plans anymore?"

The girl squeaks out a small, sheepish noise and twirls around to hide her blushing cheeks while muttering quickly, "It's an Al Bhed thing!" - her go-to excuse whenever she wants to drop the subject.

Thankfully, before either of them can think to pry, a thought dawns on Tidus that prompts his foot to scuff discouragingly against the asphalt. "Ah… I should probably do something with Yuna this weekend. I'm committing, remember?"

"Bring her along! The more, the merrier, right?" Rikku, after making a speedy recovery, turns back around to face her friends with a grin.

Wakka guffaws loudly. "Bring the mayor's daughter to one of Gippal's crazy house parties, ya? You're just full of great ideas today."

Rikku bounces over to the redhead to pinch at his bare, muscled arms and he swats her away unsuccessfully.

"C'mon, you can't keep her all to yourself. It's so unfair!" She balks childishly. "We wanna meet her!"

Tidus chuckles and casts a glance over at Wakka, who is rubbing sulkily at his abused arm. "Lu'll probably wanna come, too, so it might not be such a bad idea, ya?"

"Then it's decided," says Tidus. "I'm officially bringing a plus one."

With a cheer from Rikku and an amused chuckle from Wakka, the blond athlete gives his blitzball a celebratory punt that sends the ball recklessly speeding into the garage. The three friends wince when the kick is soon followed by an ear-splitting crash and the gruff voice of Cid Highwind himself.

"Rikku, get yer pals outta my shop 'fore I wrangle 'em out myself!" He bellows from within the garage as the blitzball comes hurdling back. Wakka catches it one-handed.

"Chill, Pops, we were just leaving!" His daughter shouts back with a sigh.

Tidus scratches the back of his head and follows up with an intimidated, "Sorry 'bout that, Mr. Highwind."

Wakka tosses the ball at his best friend, who catches it with ease. "Mind droppin' me off at home, brudda? Looks like I gotta explain to my parents why the 'ol girl's outta commission," He glances forlornly at his disabled car.

"Dead man walking," Tidus jokes before clapping the redhead on his back. They both laugh and start heading off toward his car, parked beside the mouth of the driveway. Rikku hops in place and waves a hand over her bouncy ponytail as her two friends start coasting down the street.

"See you Saturday, boys!"

* * *

Gippal's party is already in full swing by the time Tidus arrives with Yuna in tow, wide-eyed and feeling horrifically out of place. The pounding bass from the stereo can be heard - and felt - before they even reach the doorstep, along with boisterous laughter and muffled conversation from within the brightly lit house. It's enough to make Yuna want to return to the safety of her home immediately, but Tidus' fingers laced firmly with her own give her some sense of courage.

"Who lives here again?" She asks, still feeling a little uncertain about walking into the house of a complete stranger.

"Gippal, captain of the Psyches over at Al Bhed Prep. Our big rival for the championship game," Tidus explains, turning around to face her before he can reach for the door knob. "Kinda our friend, kinda not. We usually only tolerate him for Rikku's sake."

Yuna racks her brain. "And Rikku is… another friend of yours?"

"Don't worry, you'll _know_ when you meet Rikku," He tells her with a chuckle, but Yuna's tension only seemed to double from the information overload. The blond gives her hand a reassuring squeeze. "You're gonna be fine, 'kay? Just have fun - it's a party!"

A smile starts to settle itself on Yuna's lips until Tidus opens the front door, unleashing a whirlwind of chatter, deafening music, and the strong stench of alcohol. Despite Yuna's trepidation, he leads her through the throngs of partygoers, who eye the pair curiously and whisper to their friends while sipping from their red solo cups. They walk into what appears to be the living room just as the looming threat of minor claustrophobia begins to arise, but a high-pitched voice manages to cut through the clamor and make both of them turn.

"Wait up, wait up!" A bouncy blond ponytail can barely be seen over the crowd, but it is undoubtedly coming closer to the pair.

Tidus grins and waves his free hand at the approaching voice. "Hey!"

The tiny rocket whizzes right past the blond athlete and heads straight for Yuna, wrapping the girl up in a tight hug. "Hiya! You guys finally made it!"

"You must be Rikku," Yuna remarks with an overwhelmed giggle.

"He told you about me?" The Al Bhed girl pulls away from Yuna with a gasp - only slightly tipsy - and then turns toward Tidus to poke at his chest. "So _sweet_!"

Another voice cuts through the crowd, "Hey, don't get too cozy without us, ya?"

A grinning boy with red hair raises his cup above the crowd and makes his way toward the trio, followed closely by a tall girl with gothic makeup. The boy approaches Tidus and the two greet each other with some kind of elaborate fist bump combination, then he faces Yuna with a friendly smile. "The name's Wakka. Welcome to the insanity, ya!"

"Oh… Yes, thank you," Yuna smiles shyly in return.

"I'm Lulu," The dark haired girl behind Wakka steps forward to shake Yuna's hand. Her voice is barely above its normal volume, but she's somehow still heard over the hubbub. "Don't mind these fools. You're more than welcome here."

Yuna smiles again, grateful for Lulu's gentle kindness, as Wakka slings his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders and presses a kiss to her pale cheek. Lulu simply rolls her eyes, but still nestles a bit closer into his side.

"Guys," Tidus calls for their attention, gently nudging Yuna with his shoulder. "This is Yuna. And Yuna, these are my friends."

"It really is lovely to meet all of you," She attempts to speak over the background noise.

"Well, look what the cactuar dragged in!"

A final guest joins in their small circle and it's none other than Gippal. He holds a beer bottle in one hand and is grinning wide, looking far too pleased with himself, but, all the while, remains just as devilishly handsome as usual. The Al Bhed boy steps up beside Rikku and rustles her hair with his free hand.

"Hey, Rikku," He briefly glances at everyone else. "And Rikku's friends."

"Damn," Wakka mumbles to Lulu, lifting his cup to his lips. "Just when I was starting to have a good time."

Gippal chuckles flippantly. "Is that any way to thank your gracious host?"

From beside Tidus, Yuna perks up for the first time all evening. Four pairs of curious eyes are watching her as she steps forward to catch Gippal's attention. "Oh, you're Gippal," She says softly. "Thank you so much for having us in your home. My name's Yuna."

Everyone seems to be holding their breath as Gippal fixes his swirled green eyes on Yuna, smirking with mischief. "Right… Yuna. The mayor's daughter," He steals a second of a glance at Tidus, who is standing oddly close to Yuna's side. "It's a pleasure, you're always welcome here. But maybe next time you can ditch the pretty boy, huh?"

"Not likely," Tidus cuts in sharply.

"Yunie!" Rikku cries out to stifle the tension. "Mind if I call you Yunie?" She doesn't wait for an answer before lunging forward and grabbing Yuna's hand. "Let's go dance!"

The Al Bhed girl drags a bemused Yuna away from the group, shooting a pointed look at Gippal as she passes by him and then disappears into the crowded room.

"Behave, boys," Lulu warns the two blonds as she firmly grabs onto Wakka's wrist and begins tugging him away. "I'm not interested in babysitting tonight."

Gippal and Tidus share a look when they realize that they're the only two left from their circle. The Al Bhed boy lifts an eyebrow and takes a quick swig of his beer before saying, "So you convinced her to come to a party. Some checkmate."

"Gotta start somewhere," Tidus reminds him. "I have a few months left - the game's just started."

"I believe they call that the beginning of the end," Gippal chuckles to himself and pats Tidus a little too roughly on the shoulder before going off to mingle with his guests.

Tidus runs a hand through his stylishly disheveled hair and glances around the room. He recognizes a few familiar faces dispersed throughout the crowd, but he doesn't feel much like socializing. Instead, he squeezes through the mob and makes a beeline for the kitchen.

He needs a drink.

* * *

After Rikku tires herself out with her own sprightly dancing (and leaves to 'definitely _not_ go look for Gippal') and Wakka and Lulu assume their position on the recliner to become that obnoxious couple who spend the latter half of the party making out on top of each other, Yuna seizes the opportunity to sneak away. Tidus is nowhere to be found so she finds herself outside on Gippal's deck, overlooking the darkness that she assumes is his backyard. Crickets are singing in the distance and the muffled noises of the party can still be heard through the sliding glass door, but the fresh outdoor air doesn't smell like sweat and stale beer and, for that, Yuna is grateful. She leans her elbows on the wooden railing, closes her eyes, and inhales.

"There you are," Tidus' voice follows the sliding of the door. For a moment, the party engulfs her once again, but then he seals it away behind the glass barrier. "I was starting to think you were standing me up."

Yuna looks over her shoulder at Tidus' cheerful grin and the red cup in his hand. She smiles back, relieved that he is the one to find her out here. "I just needed some fresh air, that's all."

"Sorry about everyone in there," He begins, slowly joining Yuna against the railing. "My friends can be a little… much."

"Oh, no, your friends are wonderful," Yuna tells him earnestly. "Even Gippal doesn't seem as horrible as you made him out to be."

Tidus contorts his face into a disdainful sneer. "Yeah, well, sometimes tonberries don't seem that dangerous. Doesn't mean I go around hugging the little guys."

Yuna presses her lips together, but still ends up in a fit of giggles. Tidus joins her with his own riotous laughter. It isn't until their amusement fades into the chilly night air that Yuna gets lost in her own worries again.

"I've just… never been to a party before," She admits quietly.

Tidus lifts his eyebrows. "None? Not even, like, a birthday party or something?"

"Not since I was very little," The girl sighs down at her hands, which are clasped anxiously atop the railing. "I'm not very good at this."

"Hey, quit it," He bumps his shoulder gently into her own. "'Course you are. Everyone thinks you're great. 'Cause you _are_ great."

Yuna turns her head to offer him a gracious smile, once again relieved that he's out here with her to raise her spirits like he so often does. "Do you have any tips for me?"

"Well, first things first, can I grab you a drink or anything?" Tidus asks.

She examines the drink in his hand with wary eyes. "What are _you_ drinking?"

"Coke. Just plain 'ol Coke," The boy replies easily. When he receives Yuna's disbelieving eyebrow twitch, he goes on to explain, "I'm not really into booze. My old man used to kinda… have a problem with that stuff. So I decided a long time ago that I'd never drink so I wouldn't have to worry about turning into scum like him."

Yuna blinks, utterly taken aback by his honest explanation. She reaches out to cover one of his hands with her own and their gazes lock together. There is a silent moment shared between them in which no words were spoken and, yet, everything that needed to be said was expressed.

And then, to lighten the mood, Tidus cracks a grin and says, "So, no, you're _not_ gonna get me wasted, lure me home, and take advantage of me tonight. Sorry to burst that bubble."

"Oh, no," Yuna, with her hand still holding onto his, plays along. "My hopes have been dashed."

"Yeah, yeah, that's what I thought."

"Whatever will I do now?"

"You're gonna have to find another way to distract me."

"Mm, I see. So how about -"

As quickly as the exchange of their playful banter, Tidus leans forward to press an unexpected kiss to Yuna's upturned lips. The background noise fades into nothing and the temperature of the outside air soars to an unearthly climate for a brief moment - or perhaps hours. Time slips from their existence until Tidus feels two dainty hands pushing on his chest to separate them. When he opens his eyes, Yuna's lips are pouty and full of color, but her bi-colored eyes are full of unease.

She inhales carefully before whispering, "Tidus, I…"

"Yuna, I'm sorry," He allows the words to tumble out quickly and sloppily. "I'm really sorry, that was… really, really stupid of me."

"No, no, it's not stupid," She shakes her head.

"I should've asked or warned you first or something instead of just diving headfirst -"

"Please, it's not your fault. I mean -"

"What I'm trying to say is -"

"I'm sorry," They blurt out in unison, staring straight into each other's eyes with so much desperation. Yuna clears her throat softly and Tidus takes a step away from the railing, scratching the back of his head helplessly. The crickets have started singing again. The party resumes.

"I think…" Yuna pipes up hesitantly. "Maybe we should go home now."

Tidus nods briskly. "Right. Yeah, you're right."

For the remainder of the night, the party carries on, but the pair leave in a very awkward silence. The radio plays softly in Tidus' car during the drive to Yuna's house, but it isn't until he pulls into her driveway that he decides to speak up.

"Well, here you -"

In one deft motion, Yuna leans over and presses their mouths together, her hand delicately cupping the side of his strong jawline. The kiss doesn't last very long, but when they pull apart, both of their eyes are as wide as saucers.

"You just surprised me earlier," She explains breathlessly. "That's all."

Tidus just swallows thickly in reply as Yuna gracefully slides out of the passenger seat. He watches her walk up to her front door, where she turns around to wave shyly at him. The blond waves back and then she disappears into her house. Only then does he allow himself to pump his fist in triumph, grinning like a fool as he backs up onto the street again.

_Checkmate_.

**tbc**

* * *

**A/N: STAY TUNED. THERE'S GONNA BE MORE. ROMANCE, DRAMA, ATTEMPTS AT HUMOR. IT'S ALL GONNA BE THERE, I PROMISE. I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M SCREAMING AT YOU. **

**Al Bhed Translations: **

"Rikku, cdub cbnaytehk meac" - _Rikku, stop spreading lies_

"Oui cdemm ryja y mud du maynh" - _You still have a lot to learn_

"Crid ib, oui zang vyla" -_ Shut up, you jerk face_

"Zang vyla? Dryd ec dra pacd oui lyh tu?" - _Jerk face? That is the best you can do?_

"Cdehgan" - _Stinker _

"Meddma lremt" -_ Little child_

"Mucan" - _Loser_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Oh, college. You keep me from such lovely writing sessions... This chapter has been in the works for weeks now, so I think it's about time I got around to finishing it. Thanks for being patient with me, guys. And more thanks to everyone who's been keeping up with this story! I know that long breaks between chapters suck, but I'm always working on it, as much as I can along with my school work. Hope you all enjoy the next chapter! **

* * *

**THE GAME OF LOVE: Chapter 4**

Compared to the course load of the more snobbish private schools that Yuna had considered attending, Zanarkand High doesn't fall much shorter. She is pleasantly surprised by how challenging she finds her classes and by how busy she stays with her schoolwork - even if it means enduring an occasional bout of immature behavior from some fellow classmates. Yuna doesn't mind holing herself up in the library before class to escape the chaos of the hallways and bask in the peaceful refuge while she begins working on a book report.

That is, until she met Tidus.

Ever since Gippal's party, their pre-class routine is almost always spent together. Tidus emerges from the locker room - freshly showered after the team's morning scrimmage - to find Yuna waiting by their lockers. They chat, they giggle, they flirt until the bell ushers them away. Tidus escorts her to class even though she's mastered the hallways by now, leaving Yuna with a sense of bewildered amusement as she notices the jealous eyes of a few students staring at their laced fingers. Their morning schedule usually ends with them lingering outside of Yuna's first period class until Tidus leans down to peck her smiling lips. Then Yuna giddily stumbles into the classroom while he sprints down the hall to his own class, barely passing through the doorway as the late bell rings.

Despite how whimsical she feels about her first (unofficial) relationship, grades and schoolwork are not things that Yuna negotiates. So one morning, disappointedly, she finds herself pacing the library stacks with three heavy books held against her chest, hunting down all the sources on the Machina War that Zanarkand High owns. Her eyes scan the call numbers on the sides of the books as she walks down the aisle, deep in concentration until she comes to an empty gap on the shelf where a pair of playful blue eyes are staring back at her.

"Hey," says Tidus, grinning mischievously from the other side.

Yuna nearly drops her books in surprise, her heart racing with that familiar thrill that usually accompanies Tidus' presence. The blond athlete rounds the corner of the bookshelf, strolling easily in her direction.

"What are you doing here?" She whispers.

"I was gonna ask you the same thing," He admits. "You're pretty sneaky when you wanna be, y'know that? It took me forever to find you in here."

The warmth in Yuna's chest spreads to the rest of her body. "You were looking for me?"

Tidus scratches the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. "I was kinda in the neighborhood, I guess."

For a few moments, they simply smile at one another, but before either of them could begin to feel foolish, Yuna suddenly becomes aware of the bothersome weight plaguing her arms. She glances downward at her books as she explains, "I'm just getting a head start on my book report for Spiran History."

"Right on," Tidus takes a step toward her, his grin still settled on his face. "Proactivity is a pretty attractive look on you."

Yuna giggles and leans back against the bookshelf, allowing him to move in closer. "And let me guess - you've come to whisk me away?"

"But before I do…" He trails off slowly with bright, enthused blue eyes. "There's something that's kinda been on my mind lately."

Her eyebrows raise slightly. "Oh?"

Tidus doesn't want to give away his facade just yet so he distracts himself by casually shuffling his feet and swinging his arms by his sides. "Yeah. I mean… We spend all this time together and everything. And I like you. And I'm pretty sure you like me, too."

Yuna blushes.

"But, y'know," Tidus carries on, finally glancing up to grin at the girl's bi-colored eyes. "We haven't really been on a _real_ date yet."

Yuna, with her heart still aflutter, is wise enough to know where this conversation is going. Still, she plays along sweetly. "Hm, I suppose we haven't."

"And that seems kinda weird to me. Don'tcha think?"

"You have a point."

"So I guess what I'm trying to say," The blond athlete is standing close now, mere inches from the girl's wide eyes. "There's a movie playing this weekend… Do you wanna go with me? Like on a real first date?"

There is hardly any hesitation before Yuna answers, beaming with unbridled happiness. "I'd be delighted."

Subtly, they both move forward to close the remaining space between their bodies until their lips meet in a kiss. There's a sharp corner of a book spine jabbing into Yuna's back as she leans back against the shelf, but she doesn't seem to mind as their mouths begin to move together, causing her body to feel like a weightless cloud floating through the atmosphere.

But, unfortunately, the books still being cradled in her arms aren't quite as weightless. As her body relaxes into his touch, Yuna's arms buckle and the three books are sent tumbling to the ground with a thundering plop. The couple jumps apart just in time for Ms. Yunalesca, the school's prudish librarian, to appear at the other end of the aisle and glare at them from over the top of her cat-eye reading glasses.

"Library materials are to be respected," She scolds icily, her scowl deepening as she eyes the scattered books. "As is the silence that is required for your fellow classmates to continue working," Ms. Yunalesca looks pointedly at Tidus, making it clear that this is not his first library infraction. "Do not make me throw either of you out."

"I'm very sorry, Ms. Yunalesca," Yuna whispers frantically, clearly unaccustomed to being in any kind of trouble. She drops to the floor to start collecting the books. "It won't happen again."

The spindly librarian gives the pair a final look of suspicion before stalking off to another aisle. Yuna sighs quietly as she reaches for the third book, but Tidus drops a knee just in time to scoop it up for her.

"I guess we got a little carried away," He hands her the book with an apologetic smirk. "Sorry 'bout that."

She can't stay upset for long with that smile, once again, only mere inches from her face. Ducking her head shyly, Yuna accepts the book and stands up. "It's not your fault. Neither of us are particularly innocent."

Tidus jumps up after her and leans a hand on the shelf. "Does that mean we're allowed to break the rules a little more?"

"What a horrible influence you are," She pushes him away with playful firmness. The pair laugh and only cease when they hear the shrill shushing of Ms. Yunalesca from her desk.

Tidus lowers his voice to a whisper. "So Saturday? Eight 'o clock?"

"I'll be there," Yuna nods.

"Cool," The grin stretching across Tidus' face can only be described as dopey. He tries to make his exit suave, but bumps the shelf with his shoulder as he steps away. The blond grabs the book and waves it toward a giggling Yuna. "I'm just gonna… get some reading done while I'm here."

Yuna regards the book title. "Life Strategies by Dr. Phil?"

Tidus glances at the book and, without missing a beat, responds, "I'm a big fan."

Their snickers are, once again, interrupted by an even more shrill shush. Yuna covers her mouth with her free hand and Tidus mouths a quick 'see you later' before disappearing around the corner. The mayor's daughter shakes her head fondly as she brings her books over to the main desk, but Ms. Yunalesca doesn't seem as pleased.

"Did you get everything you needed back there?" The librarian asks coldly as she scans the books.

Yuna casts a quick glance over her shoulder to find Tidus waving from the other side of the window outside the library. She turns back around with a smile.

"Yes… I believe that I did."

* * *

Tidus barely wastes half of a second before looking down at his phone when his text tone chimes through the kitchen. He grins at Yuna's name popping up on the screen, quickly swiping his finger to start typing back a reply.

Inseparable would be the accurate term to describe he and Yuna's interactions ever since their first official date. He can still remember how stunning she had looked as she walked down her driveway to his car. And he certainly can remember how adorably she'd flushed when he snaked his arm around her shoulders during the movie. But it was the moment they shared as Tidus dropped Yuna off at her front door that had solidified everything.

"You know," Yuna had begun softly as they lingered on the front porch, both unwilling to let this night come to an end. "I would have to say that this is by far the best first date."

Tidus lifted a curious eyebrow. "Does that mean there's competition? Who do I have to take down, huh?"

"Nobody, believe me," She chuckled good-naturedly, waving a hand to dismiss his playful concerns. "I should have said the best _first_ first date. I don't have a lot of experience, but if I had to imagine the ideal date, this one was practically perfect."

"Perfect, huh? That's some pretty high praise," He reached for Yuna's hands and pulled her in toward him. "I must've really wowed you tonight."

Yuna fell into him when she was tugged closer, bracing her hands against his clothed, but muscled chest. "I suppose I was sufficiently wowed," She smiled.

"Suppose?" Tidus widened his blue orbs in mock offense as his arms wrapped tighter around the girl's waist. "That was not the right thing to say. Not the right thing at all."

Just as his eyes began twinkling with mischief, he scooped Yuna up in his arms and spun her around in a circle clumsily. She shrieked with surprised laughter and clung tightly to the blond.

"Oh, some gentleman!" She protested through her laughter.

"Hey, we've reached the front porch so my gentleman time's up," He slowed down his spins until Yuna's small feet were safely back on the ground. He didn't, however, loosen his hold on her. "That means the first date is officially over."

Yuna smirked at him, only a small bit of self-consciousness plaguing her otherwise lighthearted tone. "Does that mean we can start looking forward to date number two?"

"Or number five and six, if you want," Tidus had to return her pink-cheeked smile. "You get first dibs on all my upcoming date nights."

"How thoughtful," Yuna said teasingly.

There was a beat of contemplation that was evident in Tidus' expression. His gaze settled in on Yuna and she could've sworn she felt his fingers brushing lazily against her back. "Or how about… we make this official," He suggested. "Then all the dates are yours. For as long as you want them."

When Yuna found her voice to respond, it was nearly inaudible. "Official…?"

"Yeah, y'know," His arms retracted slightly and he kicked the toe of his shoe against the ground aimlessly. "Being my girlfriend and all."

Her eyes blinked, startled. "Oh… Tidus, I…"

"I know. I get it," Tidus interrupted calmly. The usual playful glint in his eyes had been replaced by something more mature than Yuna was used to seeing. "I dunno if this is too fast or whatever, but… you're the only girl I wanna spend all my time with," Finally, he cracked a smile. "I'm kinda addicted."

"Is that good or bad?" She wondered softly.

His smile remained intact as he shrugged his strong shoulders. "You tell me."

At that moment, Yuna giggled. She found herself unable to resist that charming smile and those blue, hopeful eyes that watched her so intently as her lips lifted at the corners.

"See?" She moved her arms to wrap around his neck, sighing contentedly. "You're being perfect again."

"_Practically_ perfect," Tidus corrected with feigned annoyance, his arms instinctively readjusting their hold around her waist in response to her touch.

"No," She insisted with a glowing smile, stretching up to reach his lips. "Just perfect."

Which is how Tidus finds himself at his kitchen table the following Saturday, composing a terrifically flirty text reply to his _girlfriend_. And he doesn't mind one bit.

"What's got you lookin' all dopey for, huh?" Jecht suddenly appears over his son's shoulder, raising a skeptical brow at the phone.

Tidus covers his screen with his hand and shoots a piercing glare at his father. "None of your business," He mumbles as Jecht shoots a sturdy arm out to grab at the cell phone. Tidus crouches over himself to keep it safe. "Hey, ever heard of privacy?"

The man heaves a gruff sigh and plops himself down in the adjacent chair. "This about that girl you're always hangin' around at school?"

"Yuna," Tidus says, his nerves twisting with annoyance. "And yeah. I mean, no. I don't look dopey."

Jecht snorts out a sadistic chuckle as his wife enters the kitchen, her brown hair pulled back in a loose bun and her gloved hands caked with dirt from the garden. "We'd love to meet her sometime, hon," She tells her son as she runs her hands under the sink.

"Yeah, maybe," Tidus replies off-handedly, pressing the send button after typing out his text. "I dunno. Things are kinda busy right now."

"Busy?" Jecht retorts loudly. "If you got time to let this chick drag your head outta practice, then you got time to swing 'er by the house."

Tidus lifts his head, scowling incredulously at his father. "What're you talking about? I'm _always_ in the game—one hundred percent!"

"If it ain't one-fifty then you might as well tear up your ZU application now, boy," The man crosses his arms over his wide chest and leans back in his chair menacingly. "You wanna play with the big kids? You got a lotta work to do before then."

"Jecht…" His wife warns quietly from the counter.

The man simply waves a hand in the air with nonchalance. "What? I'm just bein' honest with the kid. He's gonna get his hopes up and then go cry about it when he doesn't get his way—"

"I'm not gonna cry about it," Tidus interrupts harshly, nearly jumping to his feet. "And I have just as much of a chance to get into ZU than any other blitzer in the area. I'm the best at school."

"But still not good enough to beat your old man," Jecht challenges with a sardonic smirk. "Face it, squirt. You ain't got what it takes to make it big."

"Shut up!" This time, Tidus did jump to his feet. His fist comes down roughly onto the tabletop, but his father doesn't even flinch.

"Enough, you two," Tidus' mother urges, her forehead creased with worry. "I'm sick of the fighting."

Jecht has the audacity to laugh. "Who's fighting? He's the one gettin' all worked up over it."

"Forget it," Tidus growls, tucking his phone into his pocket and storming his way out of the room. "I'm leaving, anyway. Wakka and I are gonna meet up for a run."

"You think that's gonna help anything?" Jecht calls from the kitchen, which earns him no reply. "Good luck with that, kid."

Tidus slams the front door shut behind him as he breaks into a jog down the street, his head hanging low and his blood boiling.

* * *

"D'you think I've been… distracted lately?"

Tidus and Wakka made it through the first two miles without too much verbal exchange, but as they both slowed down to a stop to catch their breaths, Tidus could still hear his father's vicious words on a constant loop inside his brain, tugging relentlessly on his nerves.

"You?" Wakka gasps between breaths, bending over to lean his hands on his knees. "Nah, brudda. When it comes to blitz, you never miss a beat."

"I guess," The blond muses quietly as he begins to stretch his arms across his body.

Wakka stands up straight again and wipes his sweaty forehead with the back of his palm. "Old man been giving you crap again, ya?"

Tidus should have known that his best friend would be able to figure it out after years of lending his ears to his various father issues. "He said if I don't focus then I'll never make it to the big leagues," He grumbles.

"He's just messin' with your head, ya. Everyone and their grandmother knows that you're bound to get into any blitz school you want," Wakka nudges his friend with his elbow and adds cheerfully, "And then I'll get to say I knew you way back when!"

"Don't think you're not comin' with me!" Tidus grins and reaches out to pat the redhead on his shoulder. "Thanks, man."

Wakka sighs loudly as his breathing finally returns to normal, but his shaky limbs urge him to take a seat in the grass patches flanking both sides of their trail. "Where'd he even get that idea anyway, ya?" He asks.

"Yuna," says Tidus, and the name sends a strange heat rushing into his heaving chest. "He thinks a girlfriend is gonna screw up my game," The boy's eyebrows suddenly knit together pensively. "Maybe that was Gippal's plan all along, y'know? Get me so focused on winning her over that I'd lose the championship game even if he doesn't play…"

The redhead howls with laughter. "Now you're talkin' crazy, brudda! We both know that Gippal doesn't think that far in advance, ya?"

Tidus grins. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"But it seems like things are goin' good with her," Wakka mentions, stretching his legs out in front of him on the grass.

"With Yuna?" Tidus perks up. "Yeah, 'course they are. She's amazing, smart, really cute, too… And I can tell she totally digs me."

Wakka looks at him expectantly. "So sealing the deal on this bet…?"

"Is only a matter of time," Tidus finishes confidently, in hopes of calming his friend's apparent worries. The blond blitzer plants his hands on his hips as he faces Wakka. "Don't sweat it, man, I'm not gonna let the team down. I'm still taking it slow so I don't scare her away or anything," He flashes the redhead a bright smile and a thumbs-up. "Commitment, remember?"

"Ya, you committed, alright," Wakka shakes his head of impossibly tall hair. "To the looney bin."

The boy laughs again as Tidus flashes him a rather rude hand gesture.

Wakka lays down, spreading his arms out to the side as the fresh grass tickles his damp back. "I kinda like her, though," He says thoughtfully. "She seems cool, ya know?"

"Well, what's not to like?" Tidus walks over to join his friend on the grass, enjoying the rest after such a rigorous workout. "She's just really easy to talk to… And her eyes. Jeez, have you ever seen her eyes? They're like… the ocean. Only a thousand times prettier."

Tidus finds himself staring up at the slowly passing clouds in the sky, but a quick glance to the side is where he finds Wakka eying him suspiciously.

"Kinda sounds like you're into her for real, brudda," The redhead comments.

"What?" Tidus screeches, scandalized by his friend's claim. He gives Wakka a shove for good measure and snorts out loud. "No way. I'm just sayin'."

"Why's that so crazy, ya?" Wakka presses. "You said yourself that she's amazing."

Tidus sighs and leans back on his elbows, staring up at the sky again with more intent than before. For some inexplicable reason, this particular topic is twisting his stomach into uncomfortable knots. "Well, yeah, she is, but… You know what's gonna happen. We're gonna win the championship, head off to ZU, and it's not like she's gonna tag along after that, y'know?"

"You just gonna… drop her?" Wakka wonders, his voice strangely dismayed. "Just like that?"

Tidus looks at his friend again, his expression uncharacteristically subdued. "It's all part of the bet, Wakka."

"Ya… Guess so," The redhead mumbles as he pushes himself back to his feet. Tidus follows suit and stretches his limbs a bit more before they both set off down the trail again. It isn't until they reach a comfortable pace that the blond speaks up once more.

"It's just a game," He reminds both Wakka and the continual dread lingering in the pit of his stomach. "It's all a game. Y'know?"

**tbc**

* * *

**A/N: ...So yeah. You all might _think_ you know where this is headed, but I promise an abundance of twists and turns along the way! *insert evil laugh? maybe?* Anyway, stay tuned, you gorgeous readers! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm still amazed that I finished this chapter as quickly as I did. Seriously. Wasn't expecting that. Anyway, it's a little on the shorter side, but it's very poignant for the story's progression. So enjoy all that fun stuff! I can't promise how safe your heart will be by the end of this chapter... And on that note, GO READ! :)**

* * *

**THE GAME OF LOVE: Chapter 5**

"Lulu?" asks Yuna one sunny, but chilly February morning as they sit at a table in the front quad. "Can I ask you something?"

The girl looks up from her book - her raven hair piled high and chicly atop her head - and takes in Yuna's naively troubled expression. "By all means."

Without an introduction from Tidus, Lulu is the type of friend that Yuna would've gone her entire high school career without meeting. The girl's gothic appearance and naturally intimidating presence make her the kind of person that students don't go out of their way to speak with - and Yuna thinks that Lulu often prefers it that way. However, through association, Yuna respects Lulu as a good friend and confidant, which is something that the mayor's daughter has never really had in her life before.

"I understand if it's too personal, but I was just wondering…" Yuna begins, ever respectful. "How did you know when you fell in love with Wakka?"

One of Lulu's meticulously shaped eyebrows quirk upward at the question and Yuna immediately bites down on her lower lip, suggesting that her query is sparked from something more than harmless curiosity.

"Love is a very serious subject to be pondering so casually," Lulu comments knowingly, closing her book with a graceful hand.

Yuna doesn't respond, but merely blushes. Lulu takes pity on her friend and speaks again, "Falling in love with Wakka was… interesting," She clasps her hands together on the tabletop in front of her. "I denied my feelings for a very long time, convinced that it meant nothing."

"Why?" Yuna wonders timidly.

"Simple. Because he's _Wakka_," Lulu rolls her heavily lined eyes, but Yuna knows her well enough by now to know that it's done out of private affection. "He's far too thick-headed for his own good. He's sloppy and thoughtless and spontaneous to a fault. I thought I could do better."

Yuna leans forward slightly. "And then what happened?"

"You really want to know?" Lulu asks, quickly followed by her friend's enthusiastic nod. The dark-haired girl smiles for the first time all morning, seemingly lost in the memory she's about to recount. "He bought me coffee. He drove ten miles out of his way to bring me coffee from my favorite shop before school. And he knew my exact order, too," She notices Yuna's furrowed brow and shakes her head calmly. "It may sound silly to you, but that's when I finally realized that he truly had been listening to me all along, when I assumed he wasn't. He showed me that he cares enough to remember the little things - in his own bizarre way," Lulu's voice is softer and more gentle than Yuna ever remembers hearing it. "I love him despite his flaws and repulsive habits. More importantly, I love the kind of person I am when I'm with him."

Yuna's lips are turned up into a smile when Lulu finishes. She delicately leans a cheek into her palm and murmurs a dreamy, "That's very romantic."

"Yes, well, it _is_ Valentines Day," Lulu retorts, dismissing her tenderness by swiftly returning to her usual demeanor. "And knowing Wakka, he'll have forgotten all about it."

The two girls share in their amusement, Yuna giggling down at the tabletop while Lulu cracks another simple smile.

"So tell me," The gothic girl eyes Yuna again with the same kind of silent intuition. "There must be a reason why you have love on the brain."

Again, Yuna's cheeks heat up and looks as if she were just caught redhanded for some grievous crime. Perhaps the subject has been crossing her mind more and more lately every time she'll find an adorably hand-written note on her locker or will be left with a lingering kiss outside her first period classroom. Her poor, sheltered heart has been struggling with the validity of these foreign emotions and she often finds herself wondering if she's truly falling in love or simply relieved that she doesn't feel so alone anymore.

"Oh…" Yuna glances away quickly. "Well, like you said, it _is_ Valentines Day. I guess I'm just getting into the spirit."

When the brunette looks up again, she catches another small smile from Lulu. "I won't tell Tidus. You have my word."

The promise only causes Yuna's cheeks to flush even more, but a familiar figure passing by distracts her from her embarrassment. The blonde girl quickly scuttling across the quad is none other than Rikku. Her signature high ponytail is slightly disheveled from what appears to have been a rigorous field hockey practice, but she continues to hurry along with the usual bounce in her step. Her hockey stick is poking out the top of her backpack, but her arms are weighed down with a stack of neatly wrapped chocolate boxes.

"Oh, hey, Rikku," Yuna calls out to the young Al Bhed, who jumps when she hears her name. Rikku whips around to reveal her guilt-ridden face.

"Hiya, Yunie, Lulu," She seems more nervous than excited as she greets her friends.

Yuna blinks at the boxes in Rikku's arms. "Do you… need a hand?"

Rikku stares down at the packages in her arms, as if startled to realize she's been carrying them this whole time. "Huh? Uh… No, no way! I got it. They're totally light and unimportant, anyway. Yup! Nothing to see here, folks!"

"I believe she honestly expects us to buy that," Lulu says bluntly.

"Are these from someone special?" Yuna grins.

"Only if she considers _Gippal_ to be someone special…"

"Oh, stuff it, you two!" A red-faced Rikku cries with an indignant huff, much to her friends' amusement. The blond girl shuffles closer to drop her gifts onto the table and plants her hands onto her hips. "I was even gonna share the candy, but not anymore!"

Lulu turns to a giggling Yuna and mutters, "What a shame."

The unattractive grumble of Wakka's rusty car engine sounds through the parking lot in front of the quad. Rikku rolls her eyes and mutters something in Al Bhed - something that surely projects how much energy went into salvaging her friend's shoddy vehicle. The car comes to a - literally - screeching stop in one of the empty spaces and the two blitzball players clamber out of the doors.

"Sorry we're late," Wakka joins the group, presenting Lulu with a peck on the cheek and a cardboard cup of sweet smelling coffee. She exchanges a quick glance with Yuna. "Traffic was nuts this morning, y'know?"

"That and the fact we were stranded outside the coffee shop for a good half hour while Wakka tried to get his car to start," Tidus comes up behind Yuna and wraps his arms around her shoulders. He presses his lips to her porcelain cheek and reveals a single red rose from behind his back. "For you, valentine."

Yuna grins and holds the rose under her nose to get a whiff, then leans her head back against Tidus' shoulder. "Very smooth," She compliments.

"Hey! Nothing for _me_?" Rikku demands incredulously.

Lulu eyes the gift boxes still piled on the table. "I would already consider you properly pampered."

"What _is_ all this, ya?" Wakka grabs one of the boxes and shakes it to hear the loose pieces of chocolate shift around inside. Rikku snatches the package back with remarkable speed.

"Paws to yourself, stinker!"

The redhead motions with wild accusation at Rikku's stack of gifts. "That creep Gippal is sendin' you valentines now!"

"I never said they were from him!" Rikku defends.

"Oh, ya? Who else would they be from, huh?"

The sound of their bickering is drowned out when Tidus slides into the seat beside Yuna, bumping his shoulder into hers with a smile. "Sorry I can't take you out tonight. I know it's kind of a special occasion and everything…"

"Are you sure you can't make it?" Yuna knows the answer to her own question already, but she asks anyway.

"Trust me, I would if I could," Tidus answers with a sigh. "But the team's really starting to buckle down on practice. And the only way my old man would let me miss out is if I was dying of the plague. Even then he'd probably just tell me to take an Advil and suck it up."

"How about we postpone this date, then," Yuna suggests, twirling the rose in her hand. "I'll have to give you your present at some point, anyway."

Tidus looks at Yuna with a wide grin and places a playful hand to his heart. "A present? For _me_? Now you've definitely got my attention."

"Well, of course, silly," The girl gently pushes on one of his strong arms. "You _are_ my valentine, after all."

"And don't you forget it," Tidus leans in to catch her lips in a kiss just as Wakka's booming and outraged voice breaks their private barrier.

"Brudda? Helloooo!" The fellow blitzer waves his hand only mere inches from the couple's joined mouths. "You gotta back me up on this one, ya?"

Tidus reluctantly peels away with a groan. "A little busy here, man."

"I'd quit while you're ahead, Wakka," Lulu advises apathetically, sipping from her coffee. "Lest you start embarrassing yourself."

Wakka makes a noise of disapproval. "Ah, forget it," He turns his stern gaze back to Rikku. "Just think about what I said, ya? He's bad news for you."

"Yeah, yeah. You're not my father, you know," Rikku humphs haughtily and gathers her boxes back into her arms. "But in the meantime… more free chocolate for me!"

The first period bell rings out into the quad and the crowds of students begin making their way into the building. Rikku jumps at the noise. "Yikes! I gotta hit the showers before class starts!" She bounces off toward the locker rooms and waves energetically with her free hand. "See ya later, guys!"

"We should get going," Lulu announces as she rises from the table and stalks off toward the front doors. "Perhaps walking me to class will make up for our dateless evening tonight."

"Hey! But I brought you coffee, Lu!" Wakka calls out, exasperated, as he chases after his girlfriend.

Yuna turns to Tidus with a sweet smile. "It looks like it's just you and me now," She moves to her feet and reaches for her bag. "Shall we?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," The blond athlete grabs onto his girlfriend's arm and pulls her down into his lap before she can make another move. "'Scuse me, but I'm pretty sure we were in the middle of something before we were rudely interrupted…"

Yuna laughs as Tidus' lips pepper her face and his muscled arms snake around her waist to hold her tight. "Oh, were we?" She says, draping her own arms around his neck.

"Yep. And you know me," He grins brightly against her warm skin. "I'm all about follow through."

* * *

When Tidus walks through his front door about an hour after his practice ends, he hears the last thing he expects to: laughter coming from the kitchen. More specifically, his _father's_ laughter. It's been a very long time since he's heard Jecht laugh about something other than someone else's expense, but the other voice - a lighter, more musical lilt - is what threw him the most.

It sounds like… Yuna.

"Hello?" Tidus calls out into the foyer, making his way down the hall to the kitchen. "I'm home?"

When he turns the corner, the sight before him is almost enough to knock the breath out of his lungs. Yuna sits at his kitchen table, poised and beautiful with her chin resting in her hands, a smile stretching across her face. Across from her is Jecht and he looks _happy_. He's smiling as well and leaning back in his chair as the final vestiges of laughter fly from his mouth.

"Uh… Hey," Tidus greets awkwardly from the doorway.

"'Bout damn time you showed up," Jecht drawls as Yuna's eyes light up at his presence. "Practice ended an hour ago."

"Yeah, I know," Tidus responds quickly, still collecting his bearings. "I stayed after to run a few plays."

"Well, you're missin' all the fun," His father gestures across the table. "I was just tellin' Yuna here 'bout the time you got stung by a jellyfish at Besaid. Cried like a baby the whole way home!"

Jecht roars with laughter again, but Tidus smacks his palm onto his face and mumbles, "This can't be happening…"

Yuna, sensing his distress, chimes in pleasantly, "I didn't know when your practice would be over, but I stopped by to drop off your Valentines Day present."

She motions toward a small tin of cookies sitting in the center of the table just as Jecht stuffs a handful into his mouth. Tidus scowls.

"Awesome,"

"You weren't home yet, but your father was kind enough to invite me inside—"

Jecht speaks through his mouthful of cookies. "C'mon, don't be shy. Call me Jecht."

Yuna grins appreciatively. "Thank you, Jecht."

Tidus can feel himself shudder. "Okay, well, uh… I'm really glad you're here, but I gotta go take a shower so…"

"Take your time," Yuna says.

"Yeah, scram, kid," Jecht adds abruptly. "I'll entertain the lady while you're gone."

The blond boy gives his father a dirty look, but a reassuring nod from Yuna hesitantly sends him on his way up the stairs.

The rest of the evening carries on rather pleasantly and with even more laughter. Tidus joins them in the kitchen, hair slightly damp from his shower, and decides not to say much. Not only is he still shellshocked from the entire scenario, but he much prefers to sit back and watch the strange interaction unfold before him. Jecht is more charming than he's ever seen him before as he recounts fond memories and anecdotes from his life. Yuna smiles, giggles, and chimes in politely, which only seems to fuel the man's charismatic fire. Tidus simply takes Yuna's hand and munches silently on the remainder of the cookies.

It's nearly eleven when Yuna decides to return home. She stands from the table and, to Tidus' surprise, Jecht stands, too, to bring her into a forceful yet genuine hug.

"Come back soon, huh?" He grumbles. "Even if this twerp isn't home, you're always gonna be welcome here."

"Thank you very much, Jecht. I'll be sure to stop by again soon," Yuna smiles.

The burly man jabs his son in the side rather aggressively with his elbow. "You've gotta good one here, boy. Better not screw it up, ya hear me?"

"Whatever, dad," Tidus mumbles as Yuna giggles quietly by his side.

They say their final goodbyes and then Tidus walks Yuna out to her car. The night is much cooler now that the sun has gone down, but their hands are warm as they remain clasped together. She stands by the driver's door, but turns to face the blond blitzer instead.

"You were strangely quiet tonight," She comments. "Should I not have come?"

"No way, that's not it," Tidus explains quickly, rubbing the back of his freshly washed head. "I'm just still trying to wrap my mind around it… You just totally won over my _dad_. Do you have any idea how impossible that is to do?"

Yuna grins. "Clearly not as impossible as you seem to think it is."

"I seriously can't remember the last time I saw him that happy," He muses, reaching out his hands to cup the sides of the girl's face. "Teach me your ways."

"And give away all my secrets?" Yuna replies playfully. "I don't think so."

Tidus smirks. "Hey, some valentine you are."

"Well, if you don't want me, then it seems like your dad was interested,"

"Not funny,"

Despite his words, they both begin to laugh, their breaths fogging up in front of their faces and swirling together as it drifts into the night sky. Tidus shuffles his feet a little closer and moves his hands to rest on Yuna's small hips.

"Guess I shouldn't be so surprised," He says softly. "It'd be even weirder if the old bastard _didn't_ like someone as amazing as you."

Ocean blue eyes latch onto her heterochromatic ones and, like magnets, they remain that way for a while. Yuna studies him hard, wanting to memorize every swirl inside his orbs and angle of his jawline. She finds comfort in the little details - a sort of heartwarming sensation that she's never felt before.

"I love you,"

The words slip past her lips on their own accord just as they begin to blossom on her tongue, making the air between them heavy with anticipation. Yuna's eyes double their normal size and her entire face floods with heat, but she doesn't dare utter another word. Tidus simply stares, his expression softening despite the horrible dropping sensation in his stomach.

"You… do?" He asks quietly.

Yuna nods, but looks away.

Tidus knows what this means. A careful and sincere girl like Yuna wouldn't announce those three important words without intending to do so. She wouldn't put her trust on the line if she didn't think it means something. He also knows that this means he's one step closer to winning the bet, but instead of feeling the rush of victory, he feels nothing but dread.

"…I love you, too," Tidus whispers, the words spilling awkwardly from his lips.

Yuna looks up, her expression brightening upon mentally digesting his reply. She grins with relief and a twinkle in her eye makes Tidus think that she looks like the happiest, most beautiful girl in the world. Yuna falls forward and wraps her arms around his sturdy body, burying her face against his heated chest. This should be a moment of triumph. This should be the moment when Tidus rushes inside to start clearing a spot on his shelf for a championship trophy. But the dread in his stomach remains, even as he holds her against him, because a single, troublesome thought keeps lingering in his mind:

The rules of this game are starting to change.

**tbc**

* * *

**A/N: Do I smell conflict? Sweet, sweet conflict?! Well, ya'll probably knew this was bound to happen at some point. Things always get crazier when feelings are involved. But what's gonna happen next? There's only one way to find out and, no, it doesn't involve tracking me down and holding me hostage until I spill all my author-y secrets. Control yourselves.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm apologizing in advance for the crappy length of this chapter. I hit an awkward spot in the story where I needed to wrap a few things up, but it turned out to be not quite at a normal chapter length. But oh well, such are the trials and tribulations of an author. The next chapter is a big one, so hopefully that'll make up for some of this one's shortness. Still, enjoy and read on!**

* * *

**THE GAME OF LOVE: Chapter 6**

"Houston, we have a problem."

Tidus approaches Wakka in the locker room immediately following practice and the redhead whips around to face his best friend's blatantly unsettled expression.

"What's up, brudda?" He asks.

The blond falters for a moment, as if the words were becoming thick and tangled inside his throat. His eyebrows crunch together as the gears inside his mind begin to turn, conflicted between the desire to curl up into a ball or shout his news from the top of a mountain.

"She loves me," He finally settles on, simple and quiet.

Wakka blinks his eyes dazedly and his tube of hair gel nearly falls from his hand. "She said that, ya? Like _actually_ said it?" There's a beat where he waits for Tidus to nod and then he's pumping his fist into the air, cheering wildly as his fellow teammates eye him strangely from their respective lockers. "I can already see the faces of those Psyches when we take home the championship! It's gonna be epic - nah, _legendary_," When Wakka realizes that his friend isn't joining in on his celebration, he stops to ask, "So, uh… why's that a problem, ya? Thought this was the whole point."

"Yeah, but…" Tidus falters again and scratches the back of his head. "She's in love with me, Wakka. _Real_ love. I made this amazing girl fall in love with me and I can't even say it back without feeling like a total ass."

"Aw, no, I know that look," Wakka's smile drops when he takes in Tidus' deep frown and concerned, droopy eyes. He leans in conspiratorially and lowers his voice to a harsh whisper. "Don't tell me you're gettin' cold feet!"

Tidus jumps to attention, holding up his hands defensively. "That's not what I'm saying!"

"We're all countin' on you, brudda - our fearless leader!" Wakka continues on with blaring conviction. "You know what's gonna happen if you don't play in the championship—"

"Hey, whoa, hey!" Tidus interrupts his friend's tirade with frantically waving hands. "I'm playing in that championship no matter what. I've waited my whole life for this game. I guess I just…" His expression wavers once again as he sighs, abandoning his newfound firmness. "…don't know what to do now."

Wakka places a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'll tell ya what you're gonna do, brudda. You're gonna put on your game face and focus on blitz. Just like coach tells us, ya? The championship is comin' up too fast to let your mind start to wander."

Tidus gives his best attempt at a smile. He knows that Wakka means well - he always does - and that he really should focus on the game. He just can't shake the feeling deep within his gut that he never should've gotten in this far.

"Carrot top over here is right!" Jecht bellows from the locker room entrance, garnering snickers from the teammates and a scowl from Wakka. "Sure, you boys are playin' hard out there during practice, but that ain't good enough."

As Jecht marches his way further into the room, Tidus represses the urge to scoff at another one of his father's so-called pep talks.

"When your feet and knuckles start bleedin' out, that's when you know you've played a good game," The man progresses, glancing at the team's fear-filled eyes. "I don't tolerate wusses and cowards. I'm here to win a blitz championship! So none of this mind wanderin' talk, ya hear?" He throws a menacing stare at his son, who fixes his gaze on the floor.

"Just heard back from some colleges who're sendin' representatives to the game," Jecht announces loudly and the locker room fills with excited murmurs. "Kilika, Luca, Zanarkand… All the big ones. If any of you knuckleheads are actually lucky enough to catch their eyes, you better be playin' the game of a lifetime," As Tidus glances upward, he notices that his father is speaking right to him. "Now lemme hear it, Abes - what's our goal?"

The room explodes with a boisterous cry of, "Victory!"

The team starts buzzing animatedly, but Tidus is still lost in his thoughts. He scans the room to find a plethora of grins and uplifted spirits from his friends until his eyes settle on his father once again. The man is standing in the far corner, arms crossed over his broad chest, and staring down his son with narrowed black eyes.

Tidus challenges Jecht with a pointed glare of his own, but when the man doesn't react, he slings his towel over his shoulder and saunters away toward the showers without a single word.

* * *

Tidus and Yuna head over to the local coffee shop one afternoon. Their post-practice dates are common by now, but usually don't last as long as they'd both like - Yuna often has homework to complete and Tidus needs his rest. However, they take advantage of whatever time they can steal from each other's busy schedules, catching up on anything and everything that comes to mind.

But today there isn't much chatter.

As Tidus slides a steaming chai tea latte across the table to Yuna, he notices her empty stare. "Hey, something wrong? You're looking kinda spacey."

Yuna shakes herself from her trance and sighs. "I've been wanting to tell you something all day… I just don't know how to say it."

"Well, gimme your best shot," He says, falling into a comforting smile.

The flood gates are suddenly opened as the words tumble out of Yuna's mouth, as if she's been keeping them bottled up for far too long. "I want to… apologize for the other night at your house. When we were outside my car…" She blushes. "I really don't know what came over me. I'm usually not that forward, but somehow I felt like the words came out of my mouth on their own accord and I didn't have enough time to stop them. I didn't want you to feel obligated to say anything in reply if you didn't feel comfortable so I really hope I didn't force you into anything by—"

"Yuna, _Yuna_."

"—Yes?" She says quickly.

Tidus' smile broadens. "You're really cute when you ramble, did you know that?"

And just like that, the tension dissolves. Yuna finds herself grinning down at her latte, feeling a bit foolish. "I guess I do now."

Tidus' mind wanders back to Wakka's words in the locker room. He knows that his friend has a point - it's far too late in the game to back out now. The championship is what he should be focusing on, not the way his heart seems to skip a beat when he catches sight of Yuna's relieved smile.

"Look, I didn't say anything I didn't wanna say to you," He tells her, absentmindedly startled by how truthful these words feel leaving his lips. "And you definitely didn't scare me away. I mean, I'm still here, right?" His hand reaches across the table to cover Yuna's. "I'm with you because that's where I wanna be more than anywhere else. 'Kay?"

Yuna nods shyly with newly instilled reassurance. "'Kay."

"And for the record," Tidus adds, his grin turning sly. "I kinda like the outspoken side of you."

Her eyes brighten with playfulness as they normally do around her boyfriend, but her cheeks still redden from the suggestive comment. "It seems like I'm not quite as invisible as I was before."

"I wonder who helped you with that…"

"Oh, just some boy with a blitzball for a brain,"

"Hey!" Tidus laughs. "That's a little _too_ outspoken!"

In no time, they return to their comfortable banter and conversation while they finish up their drinks. Tidus continues to smile as Yuna goes on about a presentation she gave in her Literature class earlier that day, marveling at the way she seems to blossom in his company. Then Tidus complains about the stack of homework awaiting him at home and how he barely has enough energy left to hold a pencil, but Yuna sweetly convinces him that it'll all be worth it after he wins the championship.

And not once do they let go of each other's hands.

* * *

"Six weeks, ya…" Wakka grumbles, mostly to himself, as he plops down in his homeroom seat. The desk below him gives an aggravated creak, prompting Lulu to glance up from her notebook.

"What are you mumbling about?" She asks with her usual tone of annoyance.

"The championship, Lu!" The redhead slumps down in his chair, sighing with exaggerated exhaustion. "It's only six weeks away and I can't even feel my legs from all the practicing we've been doin' lately."

Lulu smirks over her shoulder at her boyfriend. "Hm, sounds like complaining to me."

"You bet I'm complaining! It took me three extra minutes to get here just to get up the stairs," Wakka leans over to give Tidus a friendly smack on the shoulder. "Right, brudda?"

Tidus' upper body is sprawled out atop his desk, hands flopping over the front as he presses his face against the cold surface. If not for the rhythmic rising and falling of his back, one might think he had dropped dead. "Uh-huh," He grunts tiredly.

The lack of a decent reply causes Rikku to spin around in her seat and give Tidus a pat on his shaggy blond head. "Don't mind him, he's just lazy," She looks at her friends with excitement bubbling behind her swirly eyes. "What we all need is a vacation - and look!" The girl holds out her phone calendar, presenting it to Wakka and Lulu. "Only two weeks away!"

When mid-April rolls around, the students of Zanarkand High are released for spring break. Ever since their freshman year, the friends have spent their week-long vacation on Besaid Island - a popular beach destination for many people in Spira - and now, at the end of their final year, they don't intend on letting rigorous blitzball preparations rob them of their last trip together.

Wakka examines the calendar with wide eyes. "Aw, man, you're right. That's comin' up soon, ya."

"Super soon!" Rikku concurs, retracting her phone with a contented sigh. "I can't wait to finally take a break. And we'll all be together for our last trip, y'know? You, Lulu, me, Gippal, Tidus…"

The redheaded blitzer scrunches up his nose in disdain. "Wait… what name you say again?"

"Um, Lulu?" Rikku squeaks.

"Nah, after that."

The girl's lips slowly turn upward in a sheepish grin. "…Tidus?"

Wakka flings his arms into the air with a frustrated growl. "You're bringin' the Al Bhed on our vacation! I can't believe this!"

"Excuse me, I'm an Al Bhed, too, remember?" Rikku challenges fierily. "Besides, it's partly _my_ vacation so I get to bring whoever I want. It's not like he hasn't come along before."

"But that was when you two were… ya know," Wakka shakes his head instead of completing his heinous thought. "It's different!"

The Al Bhed girl crosses her arms and pouts her bottom lip in true childish fashion. "Well, he already said he'd come so screw you."

"Will you be inviting Yuna to join us this year, Tidus?" Lulu asks the sleeping athlete, changing the subject as she quickly grows tired of the others' antics.

Tidus lifts his head up when he's addressed, blinking his eyes sleepily, but still managing to reply, "'Course I will. It's all part of my—"

"Commitment," Wakka and Rikku finish together. Tidus throws a look at his two friends, who've clearly heard the same explanation many times before over the past few weeks.

Rikku is quick to beam smugly at Tidus, throwing gentle jabs at his arm. "Aw, you've never brought a _girlfriend_ with you before," She coos teasingly. "That's so sweet!"

He attempts to shrug her away while saying, "Yeah, well, Yuna's kind of a special case."

Lulu is intrigued enough to look at Tidus and raise her eyebrows appreciatively. A corner of her red lipsticked lips twitches upward slightly, just enough to suggest genuine amusement. "A changed man. Color me impressed," The dark haired girl comments. "This relationship might be good for you after all."

She returns her attention to her notebook, failing to notice the way Rikku giggles silently into her palm or when Wakka reaches over for a congratulatory fist bump. Tidus doesn't know what else to do besides smile at his friends, accepting their praise - although feeling like he might not deserve it anymore.

**tbc**

* * *

**A/N: After proof-reading, I kinda realized that this chapter feels like a pointless filler, BUT IT'S NOT I SWEAR. Some stuff in this chapter is gonna resurface in later ones... So. Yeah. I'm not just getting lazy. THERE'S A METHOD TO MY MADNESS, STRANGELY ENOUGH. This chapter also sets up the next one, which is - you guessed it - the spring break shenanigans! Fun fact: the spring break chapter is the first one I actually started writing out for this story. So it holds a special place in my heart, *tear tear*. And things are reeeeeally gonna start rolling after that... But peace for now, readers, I'll be back soon! **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This chapter was super fun to write for many, many reasons. The main one being IT'S VACATION TIME. My summer days at the beach are long gone now, so I'm living vicariously through the characters. And I'm not even a little bit ashamed. Hope you all enjoy this next chapter! **

* * *

**THE GAME OF LOVE: Chapter 7**

Because Wakka adamantly refuses to let anyone other than himself get behind the wheel of his precious Machina 300 ('the rusty deathtrap', as Lulu more aptly calls it), Tidus and Yuna are forced to cram themselves in the backseat while en route to Besaid. It's not particularly comfortable, but it gives the couple an excuse to snuggle close so neither complains.

Rikku and Gippal speed up from behind them in his fancy convertible. The Al Bhed pair pass Wakka in the right lane, slowing down just long enough to catch their attention with a honk and one of Gippal's signature smirks, then zoom down the highway with Rikku throwing her hands up and cheering giddily.

Wakka grips the steering wheel tightly. "Just one blitzball to the head… No one would even notice he's gone…"

"Wakka," Lulu scolds from the passenger's seat.

"If you don't mind me asking," Yuna speaks up from the back, curled into Tidus' side. "Why do you dislike him so much?"

"He's the enemy!" Wakka replies immediately. He takes a moment of deep contemplation before controlling his temper enough to continue, "And a while ago, he hurt Rikku bad, y'know?" Wakka takes one of Lulu's hands while steering with his left, and brings it up to kiss the back of her palm. "Lu is my girl, but Rikku's my girl, too, ya?"

Yuna smiles at the explanation, touched by his display of tentative affection. "You're a very good friend, Wakka."

The redhead flushes with embarrassment and Lulu even gives the boy's hand a gentle squeeze. Tidus, however, peers at Yuna from over the top of his aviator sunglasses and whispers teasingly, "Big softie."

"Hey, I can hear you, y'know!" Wakka glares at his best friend through the rearview mirror as the passengers in the car start to laugh.

* * *

It comes as no surprise that Rikku and Gippal are the first to arrive at the beach house. The Machina 300 rolls into the sand-covered driveway in its own time, looking quite foolish next to Gippal's slick ride. The house - which has been graciously rented by Wakka's grandparents, who live just north of the island - is a polished three-bedroom cottage situated right on the beach. Palm trees and other tropical plants are decorated around the front porch while a long wooden dock extends from the back door to reach the soft sand of the beach.

They haul their luggage inside and briefly squabble over which room to claim. When Yuna pulls back the window curtains of she and Tidus' room to reveal a spectacular view of the crystal blue ocean, she knows that they've made the right choice.

"Wow," She breathes. "It's so beautiful."

"Yeah, it's alright," Tidus appears from behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "But it's got nothin' on you."

Yuna cranes her neck back to stick her tongue out at her boyfriend, but Tidus is already hoisting her off the floor to pin her down atop their absurdly cushioned bed. She giggles in protest, helpless against his strong hold until her back hits the fluffy comforter and notices Tidus' rambunctious eyes only mere inches from her own.

"Hi," She says softly.

"Hi," He replies.

A beat of silence follows, but it doesn't last long because as soon as they catch their breaths and the corners of their mouths start to lift up, they both lean toward each other until their lips crash together. Yuna can feel herself sinking deeper into the mattress as Tidus hovers over her, his intoxicating scent wafting past her nose. She lifts her arms to secure around his neck, desperate for him to press closer, but a high-pitched voice from somewhere within the house ruins the moment.

"No gross stuff, guys! It's time for the beach!" Rikku sings cheerily as her footsteps skip out the back door.

Tidus and Yuna look at one another, only slightly annoyed, and the blond athlete sighs as he slides off the bed. "Alright, let's go be social and everything."

"Must we?" Yuna reluctantly joins him, smoothing out the bottom of her sundress once she gets to her feet.

He stares her down with a delighted grin and a lifted eyebrow, but it doesn't take long before he's moving forward, wrapping her up in his arms again with an exasperated sigh. "You're making this really hard for me, you know."

"We have all week," She assures him warmly and then wriggles out of his hold to wander toward her suitcase. "Now I should probably change into my bathing suit."

Tidus plops himself down onto the edge of the bed. "Right."

Yuna pauses, bathing suit in hand, and turns to face her boyfriend. "Um, Tidus?"

"Hm?"

"I'm changing," She reminds him, holding up the suit.

Tidus grins with satisfaction. "Your point?"

Yuna shakes her head fondly and attempts to swat at him with her bathing suit, but he rolls off the bed and rushes out of the room before she can reach him.

* * *

Rikku emerges from the beach house in nothing but the smallest yellow bikini that any of them had ever laid eyes on.

"C'mon, slow pokes!" She coaxes her friends. "We rented jet skis!"

By the shore at the end of their dock, three jet skis float enticingly on the water. The sun sparkles over the ocean in the distance, beckoning them out into the waves on such a perfect spring afternoon.

Gippal saunters out the back door with a pair of sunglasses pushing back his spiky blond hair and his swim trunks, showcasing his immaculately chiseled chest. "Get ready for the ride of your life, _pypo_," He winks at Rikku.

"Hey, who says _you're_ driving?" She challenges, her messy ponytail bobbing to and fro as she bounds up to him.

Gippal just laughs and slings an arm over the girl's tiny shoulders. "That's cute."

The pair bicker their way down the dock as Wakka and Lulu step out of the house in a pair of trunks and a classy black one-piece, respectively. Lulu is already side-eying her boyfriend, who is grinning broadly at the jet skis.

"Is this going to be safe?" She asks him harshly.

"Aw, c'mon, would I ever let somethin' bad happen to you, Lu?" Wakka counters, ignoring the dark haired girl's obvious hesitation. He takes her hand and drags her along down the dock. "Live a little, ya?"

Tidus stretches his arms over his head as he strolls out the door, his tanned muscles flexing. He watches his friends hurry toward the jet skis at the end of the dock, but turns back toward the house before he goes to join them.

"Comin'?" He calls out.

Yuna timidly steps out from the doorway and glances around. She looks slightly different now that her shoulder-length brown hair has turned wavy from the salty ocean breeze. But the biggest change - Tidus is quick to notice - is her attire. Instead of her girly summer dress from earlier, she now sports a light blue bikini with a white floral pattern. She wrings her hands together when she notices Tidus studying her gentle curves.

Tentatively, she speaks. "What?"

"It's just, uh…" Tidus motions to her with not much decorum. "I always thought you looked really good _in_ your clothes, but…"

Yuna blinks her wide eyes at him, taking a moment to process his words, and then covers her mouth with her hand to stifle her giggles. When Tidus furrows his brow at her unexpected reaction, she explains, "I'm sorry, but that's the most ridiculous line."

He shakes his head and says with what seems like utter conviction, "It's not a line."

"It doesn't matter," Yuna concludes, tucking a strand of wavy beach hair behind her ear.

"Yuna," Tidus steps toward her and places his hands on her smooth, bare hips. "It's not a line."

She gauges the bright sincerity in his impossibly blue eyes and quickly gives in with a sigh. "Then that just makes _you_ the ridiculous one."

The blond laughs out loud and then pecks her pink lips. "I'll take it."

"I said no gross stuff!" Rikku cries impatiently from the end of the dock as soon as the couples' lips touch. In the distance, her tiny body can be seen bouncing up and down. "Save it for later, lovebirds!"

Yuna smiles up at Tidus. "We better go before we really get in trouble."

"Well, maybe if you stopped distracting me…"

She rolls her eyes good-naturedly and grabs his hand to tug him along. At the end of the dock, the other two pairs have already mounted their jet skis. Gippal (who somehow convinced Rikku to let him drive) is already zooming around in circles over the waves with Rikku whooping excitedly as she clings to his back. Wakka is still bobbing in place by the dock, examining the controls as Lulu grips a bit too tightly to his shoulders. Tidus beams boyishly as he hops onto the last remaining jet ski and holds out a hand to help Yuna settle in behind him.

"Need some help?" Tidus offers his friend as he gives the engine an experimental rev.

"Nah, you two go ahead," Wakka nods his head toward Lulu, whose claws are still digging into his skin. "It might take a while to get this one moving."

Tidus spins the jet ski around. "Alright, catch you guys later," He says before jolting off across the water.

Yuna tightens her grip around Tidus' middle as she feels the force of the ocean breeze pushing against her. They bounce as the jet ski soars over a rippling wave, sending droplets of cool salty water splashing against their heated skin. When she finally musters up enough courage to open her eyes, she peers into the distance to watch the endless expanse of ocean unfold before them, streaks of reflective sunbeams dancing over the waves. As they gradually begin to accelerate, Yuna can feel her heart beating against her chest and the foreign sensation of her skin prickling with excitement. She can't stop her lips from curling upward into a grin against Tidus' bare shoulder.

Because for the first time in a very long time, Yuna realizes, she feels free.

He feels her lips twitch against his skin so he calls back to her over the thundering engine, "Wanna turn back?"

Yuna leans back, brunette locks waving behind her, and braces herself against the powerful wind. "Faster," She urges.

Tidus, his eyes brightening from her courageous request, revs the engine. "You got it!"

They take off with more speed, leaping over waves and laughing as they bounce back onto the spitting water, but Tidus quickly sends them sputtering to a halt when another jet ski zooms in front of their path, narrowly avoiding a collision.

"Hey, superstar," Gippal smirks, circling back to drift closer to their ski. "Wanna race?"

"You sure you're up for that, Psyche?" Tidus taunts. "I mean, you're gonna need _some_ dignity after the championship game."

"This isn't about blitzball, dummy," Rikku says from over Gippal's shoulder. "Last one back to the dock is a rotten egg! Whaddaya say?"

Three heads turn toward Yuna when she is the first to reply with a determined, "Sure, let's do it!"

Gippal, his gaze settling deliberately on Tidus, chortles quietly. "Looks like your decision's been made already. Better get a move on!" He revs the engine ostentatiously and, just as Rikku flashes Yuna an energized thumbs up, speeds off in the other direction.

"Well, well, _well_," Tidus looks over his shoulder to smirk proudly at Yuna. "Someone's got a competitive streak."

She circles her arms around his waist again and leans her chin on his shoulder. "We're going to lose if you keep ogling, you know."

With a quick laugh, Tidus tightens his grip on the handles, fixing his gaze on the dock in the far distance before tearing through the water. "Aye, aye, captain. Hang on tight!"

* * *

The sun dips low over the horizon until it completely disappears from sight, shrouding the island in darkness. A single, flickering light burns bright on the sand as they sit around a small bonfire. The sound of the crackling flames fill the crisp air, but the tumbling waves can still be heard in the distance as they crash upon the shore.

They've spent hours around the fire, laughing and reminiscing over the day's fun-filled events, but the exhaustion has quickly settled in. Tidus glances to his left to find Lulu resting her head on Wakka's shoulder and the redhead silently slipping out of his blitzball letterman jacket to drape over the girl's body. Across the fire sit Gippal and Rikku, practically in each other's laps as they hold a long stick over the flames with a black, crisping marshmallow on the end.

His blue orbs settle on Yuna, a golden glow shimmering against her delicate face. They lock eyes and easily share a private smile. Tidus, quite discreetly, nods his head back toward the dark beach and stands, walking away from the heat of the bonfire. Yuna calmly follows suit.

The cool waves drift over their bare feet as they walk along the shoreline, hand in hand. The light of the fire shrinks in the distance as they make their way further across the sand, but the dim glow of the moonlight reflecting off the water shows them their path.

"You know what?" Tidus begins after a long moment of comfortable silence. "You've changed."

Yuna looks at him and smiles, knowing that his observation is neither disappointed nor accusatory. "You think so?"

"Yeah, but in a good way," He elaborates as he takes in her twinkling eyes. "You just seem… happier."

"Well, believe it or not, your company isn't entirely unenjoyable," Yuna teases.

"Good, 'cause I've been trying to impress you this whole time," Tidus gently swings their hands between their bodies. "You're pretty intimidating, y'know."

She laughs up at the darkened sky. "Oh, yes, I'm such a terror."

"Especially when it comes to jet skis," The blond bumps her shoulder with his own. "You were pushing that engine pretty hard, speed demon."

"If I remember correctly," Yuna narrows her gaze with a small grin. "That speed is what helped us beat Rikku and Gippal."

"Hey, how about a little credit for the driver?"

Their laughter melts together in a familiar harmony. Yuna silently counts the waves that lap up onto the sand, barely making it to five before she adds, "That was the most fun I've had in such a long time," She lifts her chin and closes her eyes, smiling as the gentle sea breeze passes by her sun-kissed face. "It felt like we were flying."

"Betcha you don't feel so invisible anymore, huh?"

Yuna opens her eyes to realize that they've stopped walking. Now they stand, face to face, by the water's edge with Tidus' hopeful expression locking onto her.

Slowly, she smiles. "And that's all thanks to you. At the beginning of the semester I never would've even dreamed of doing anything like this," There is a silence, and then Yuna goes to sit on the velvety sand, the rolling waves barely reaching her toes. "When my mom died, my dad felt like he had to keep me safe - too safe. I've spent my whole life following rules, never speaking up, always being careful… Sometimes I just wanted to scream in the middle of a crowded room just so someone would notice me," She hugs her knees to her chest and peeks up at Tidus. "Which is why it meant so much that _you_ noticed me, even when I was invisible. I just hated feeling so… so…"

"Trapped," Tidus finishes for her. "Yeah, I know," He plops himself down beside her, leaning back to allow his legs to stretch out and his palms to prop him up. "I haven't always hated my old man, you know. When I was really little, I even idolized him. He was brave and strong and could play a mean game of blitzball. And then I got older and he turned into the asshole that he is now," The blond scoffs at the thought, his voice lowering to a pensive octave. "Or maybe he's always been that way, but I was just too young to realize it," Tidus sighs under his breath and stares out over the dark ocean. "But there's still this part of me that feels like that little kid again. I just want him to notice me, y'know?" He wills his voice not to shake with the bubbling frustration. "I just want him to tell me that I'm worth it - that I really do have what it takes."

He feels a hand cover his own and looks over to find Yuna wearing an expression of tender conviction. "You do have what it takes."

Tidus, although appreciative of her sympathy, can't seem to shake the negative thoughts - which come to him in his father's jarring voice - from entering his mind. He rests a hand on the back of his head and looks down at the sand. "How're you so sure?"

"Because I believe in you," She says simply, but not without warmth. "When you love someone you believe they can do anything, right?"

And just like that, the game is over. The realization hits him like a flying blitzball to the head. Yuna speaks the words that he's been waiting to hear for his entire life, but never has - not even from his own family. And what's more, she means them wholeheartedly. This girl loves him unconditionally and - despite his best efforts to keep an emotional detachment - Tidus loves her back with every inch of his being. Her affection warms his heart more than any blitzball championship ever could. It's with a guilty conscience that he decides he can no longer carry on with this charade. He can't allow Yuna to give him everything while he withholds the ugly, bitter truth from her.

"Yuna," Tidus looks up, his voice nothing but a quiet and pained croak. "I gotta say something—"

"No, you don't have to say anything," She tells him firmly. "You don't have to prove yourself, least of all to me. I just know you're going to get your Zanarkand dream."

Tidus swallows through a lump in his throat and reaches out his hand to cup the back of Yuna's head, his fingers tangling in her soft brown hair. "I really love you."

Yuna leans in to kiss his awaiting lips, surrendering to the word of her body. Tidus keeps her close as their mouths move together and quickly loses himself amongst the thrumming of his heartbeat. They stay this way for quite some time with only the drifting waves to fill the silence.

* * *

It is well past midnight by the time Tidus and Yuna return to their room, moving wordlessly through the house as to avoid disturbing their sleeping friends. They don't bother turning on any lights - the small strips of moonlight peeking through the thin curtains are enough. Tidus closes the door behind them with a muted thud and strides forward in one deft motion to take Yuna in his arms. Neither of them waste any time in picking up from where they left off on the beach.

Yuna feels herself floating over to the bed, gently falling back into the cool mattress, quickly followed by the warmth of Tidus' weight hovering over her. She tries to pull him impossibly closer until they both sink down into the depths of the covers, but she can only do so much while being distracted by the trail of feather-light kisses traveling down her neck. There is a slight hitch in the brunette's breath when she feels a hand slide up her bare thigh, and it doesn't go unnoticed by Tidus.

His hand twitches nervously as he starts to retract, but Yuna reaches out to grab his wrist and keep him in place. The blond athlete pulls away to meet the eager sparkle in Yuna's bi-colored eyes. "Are you sure?" He asks, his voice low and slightly rough.

"I am," She whispers.

Feeling strangely dizzy, Tidus reaches out to push her silky hair away from her sun-kissed face, now stained with dull strips of moonlight. "This might not make a lot of sense to you," He says with the pupils of his eyes blown wide. "But this is real… this is so real to me."

Yuna lifts her hand to cover the boy's as it lingers over her pink cheek. "Of course it's real."

In the darkness, they find each other's lips. They listen to each other's bodies and take their time to explore, memorize, and cherish. It isn't until about an hour later that Yuna finds herself tangled in the bed sheets, her mind slipping in and out of consciousness. She feels her slick skin pressed against Tidus', his strong arms draped over her limp body, and allows her heavy eyelids to close to the rhythmic pattern of his breathing.

With a smile on her lips, Yuna drifts into a peaceful sleep.

**tbc**

* * *

**A/N: SO THAT HAPPENED. But there's much more to come. Soooo much more. They aren't out of the trenches yet, folks! Quick PSA: Gippal refers to Rikku as "pypo" in this chapter, which means "baby" in Al Bhed. Don't worry, you're not crazy. It's not some bizarre English word you've never heard of before. Second quick PSA: If you've never ridden a jet ski before, please proceed to the nearest body of water and do so immediately. It's probably the most thrilling and liberating experience in the world. **

**Stay tuned! And thanks to all my lovely readers. Keep being awesome. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Oh, this chapter... That's all. That's all I have to say.**

* * *

**THE GAME OF LOVE: Chapter 8**

When Rikku invites Yuna to go prom dress shopping with her, she knows that she doesn't really have much of a choice. A prom dress isn't something that has been plaguing the girl's mind lately - after all, she's never been to one before - but she knows that there are far worse ways to spend a Saturday afternoon than a shopping spree with her friend.

It takes them hours to tear through the countless racks of formal wear at Macy's and even longer to conduct their own personal fashion show in the fitting rooms. The pair would've been quite a nuisance to the other shoppers had they not been so amusing to watch as they strut out of their rooms, striking poses in the most ridiculous dresses they can find. Still, Rikku falls in love with a teal sequined mini-dress that would look completely tacky on anyone else while Yuna - although thoroughly enjoying their fun in the dressing room - walks away empty handed. Later, they find themselves in the food court of Zanarkand Mall, sipping smoothies after an exhausting shopping session.

"Thanks for coming with me, Yunie," Rikku says with a grin. "Lulu's no fun 'cause all she ever wears is black. And growing up in a house full of boys… well, it's kinda nice to pretend I have a sister for the afternoon, y'know?"

"Well, I'm grateful, too," Yuna replies, stirring her straw around her pineapple smoothie. "I don't have any siblings and my mom died when I was very young. I don't get to do this sort of thing very often."

Rikku leans her elbows on the table and holds out her pinky. "Then let's make it a promise. Sisters?"

Yuna is all too eager to wrap her pinky around her friend's with a broad smile plastered across her face. "Sisters."

"Yay!" The girl's blond ponytail dances as she bounces excitedly in her seat. "This means we get to do each other's nails and have sleepovers and wine nights that our boyfriends are totally _not_ allowed to come to."

The brunette giggles as she raises an eyebrow at her. "I didn't realize that Gippal is your _boyfriend_ now."

"_Ugh_. He's _not_," Rikku groans and gives her head a vicious shake. "I'm gonna make him work a little harder before he wins me back."

Yuna looks down at her drink thoughtfully, but still manages to ask, "What exactly happened between you two?"

The Al Bhed girl sighs loudly, a clear indication for an upcoming long-winded tale. A bit of the usual brightness in her swirled green eyes has been dulled. "Long story short, we kinda grew up together 'cause our parents are really close friends. We used to play stupid make-believe games where I was a princess and he was a knight who had to protect me from all the bad guys. Super adorable, yeah?"

Leaning her elbows on the tabletop, Yuna nods dreamily.

"We stayed pretty close even when his parents sent him over to Al Bhed Prep. Pops is a big supporter of Al Bhed integration so I ended up at Zanarkand High," She rolls her eyes affectionately. "Anyway, we always kinda had a thing, but we didn't actually start dating until our sophomore year."

"Did you two break up because of the blitzball rivalry?" Yuna guesses.

"No way! I don't care about that silly stuff," Rikku waves her hand flippantly, but her posture seems to droop quite quickly. "He broke up with me 'cause he got jealous. Turns out mister tough guy is just a big baby. He thought I had a thing for… Tidus."

Yuna nearly chokes on her smoothie, but wills herself to remain calm as she wonders, "Oh… Did you?"

"_Weeeell_…" Rikku muses, much to Yuna's horror. When the blond girl realizes that her response isn't what her friend likes to hear, she continues frantically, "But that was years ago, Yunie! And it was just a _tiny_ crush, honest. I got over it really fast. Now he's not even a boy to me anymore, he's just…" She makes a face. "_Tidus_."

With her nerves newly calmed, Yuna can't help but laugh. She cups a hand over her mouth before saying, "I believe you, Rikku, I really do."

Rikku furrows her brow determinedly and narrows her eyes at Yuna. "But now that we're sisters, you can't tell _anyone_ about that, 'kay? It's so _embarrassing_."

"Promise," Yuna smiles.

"Thanks, Yunie," Rikku glances at the time on her phone. "Wanna bounce? It's getting kinda late."

Yuna stands from their table and scoops up her smoothie cup. "Sure, let's go."

Rikku jumps up and grabs her shopping bag, suddenly remembering that Yuna is without one. "Aw, but we still haven't found you a dress!" She pouts.

"It's okay," She assures her friend. "There's still some time before prom."

The girls make their way through the mall, toward the exit. Rikku is prattling on about the latest fixer-upper at her father's shop when a small boutique window catches Yuna's eye. The brunette slows to a stop, her gaze lifting toward the window display. A blue gown is draped elegantly on the mannequin, with a sparkly beaded bodice that hugs every curve and silky fabric cascading in ocean-like ripples down the bottom. Yuna can't help but notice it is the same alluring shade of blue as Tidus' eyes.

"Yunie?" Rikku asks as she backtracks to join her friend. The Al Bhed girl follows Yuna's gaze until she, too, is gawking appreciatively at the blue gown. "Holy chocobo… It's beautiful! You gotta try it on!"

"What?" Yuna breaks free of her trance. "But I thought we were leaving."

"Not anymore," She insists. "This dress is a sign! You can't just pass it up, you know."

Yuna, despite her hesitation, allows Rikku to take her hand and drag her into the boutique without any protest. After all - what else are sisters for?

* * *

Yuna's house is much larger than Tidus anticipated. At first he found it strange that he's never visited her at home before, but now he understands why. As he stands before the tall wooden front door, he realizes that it's nothing short of intimidating.

Tidus takes a deep breath before rapping his knuckles against the door. He steps back and tugs on the end of his tie while he waits, but it isn't long before the door swings open to reveal a friendly-faced older man.

"You must be Tidus," The man offers his hand and a kind smile. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Yuna's father."

"Mayor Braska," Tidus says as he shakes the man's hand firmly. "Pleasure to meet you, too, sir. An honor, actually!"

The mayor chuckles quietly before side-stepping out of the doorway. "Come inside, will you? Yuna should be down in a moment."

Tidus does as he's told and shuffles awkwardly into the foyer. The room is neatly decorated with style and class. A row of framed pictures line the adjacent wall, many of which depict a much younger Yuna while others show the mayor with a beautiful woman - presumably Yuna's mother. A large, antique grandfather clock ticks away in the corner, emphasizing the utter silence of the grand house.

"Nice place you got here," Tidus clears his throat and stuffs his hands into his pockets.

"Thank you," Mayor Braska closes the front door, then wrings his hands nervously before beckoning the boy over. "Tidus? A word?"

The blond athlete glances around quickly, as if they aren't the only two in the room, and then paces over to Yuna's father.

"I just want to… thank you for everything you've done for Yuna," The mayor begins softly, taking Tidus off-guard. "I knew that she'd have a bit of trouble adjusting to her new school and I worry about her - perhaps to a fault - but she's never been happier since you came into her life," The man places a gentle hand on Tidus' shoulder and looks him square in the eyes. "I do hope I'm not overstepping my boundaries by saying this, but… Please take good care of my little girl."

Tidus lays his wide, stunned eyes on the mayor. He idly wonders what it'd be like to have a father as caring and loving as Yuna's, but, instead, grins confidently in reply. "Don't worry 'bout a thing, sir. She's safe with me."

A creak from the upstairs floorboard catches both of their attentions. Descending from the wide staircase is Yuna, the flowing blue silk of her dress trailing behind her. Her brunette hair is wavy - much like it was at the beach - and pinned back on the sides to reveal her flushed cheeks. She breaks into a shy smile as she reaches the bottom of the stairs, noticing Tidus' dropped jaw and unblinking eyes.

Her father is the first to approach her when she steps onto the floor. "You look beautiful," He whispers into her ear as he brings her into a warm hug. "Just like your mother."

Yuna pulls away to share a meaningful look with her father, eyes glimmering with unspoken emotion. The mayor runs his hand down his daughter's cheek and then hurries off with a hushed, "Let me go find my camera."

The clock ticks away in the silence as the young couple is left alone. Yuna turns to face Tidus, her glossy lips upturned. "Well?"

He shakes his head slowly, taking a deep inhale as if to collect himself. "You gotta warn a guy before you come out looking like _that_."

"So you like it?" She swishes the flowing fabric around her legs. "Rikku helped me pick it out."

"Then I'm surprised there aren't more sparkles," Tidus smirks. They both chuckle as the blond boy walks toward her. "I _love_ it. You're gorgeous."

Yuna reaches out to adjust the lapels of his black tuxedo jacket. "You clean up pretty well yourself, you know."

He leans down to peck her lips just as a bright camera flash goes off in front of them. The pair break apart, startled, to see Mayor Braska lowering his camera with a laugh. "Sorry, but your Uncle Auron is going to kill me if I don't take enough pictures."

As Yuna laughs through her blush, Tidus grins broadly and slings his arm around the girl's shoulders. "Hey, I mean, let's do it. We're both looking the best we're probably ever gonna look, right?"

With a smile, Yuna pinches him discreetly on the arm as they both move into formation for her father's onslaught of pictures.

* * *

Zanarkand High's gymnasium is elaborately decked out for the senior prom. The lights have been dimmed low with only a few colored strobes hanging from the ceiling to shine patterns over the crowded dance floor. Streamers hang from the doorways and walls, while the DJ blasts a pounding beat through the speakers. The room is far too overwhelming to even consider seeking out their friends, so Tidus takes advantage of their alone time.

The music fades into a slow, melodic tune and the students on the dance floor disperse into pairs. Tidus extends his hand toward Yuna. "Can I have this dance?"

Placing her hand in his, she steps out into the middle of the floor with him. "Of course."

As they move past the other couples, Tidus can't help but notice that Yuna easily outshines every other girl at the prom. The blue waves of her dress dance around her legs as she walks and, even under the gaudy colored strobes, she shines angelically. The blond athlete clasps her left hand, his other resting on her slender waist as they slowly sway in a circle.

"Do you even know how to do this?" Yuna giggles as their swaying becomes a little out of time with the music.

"Nope. Not a clue," He answers shamelessly.

The girl's hands find their way to his shoulders and she lays her head upon his strong chest. She can still hear the soft beat of the song permeating through his body. "I don't care. I'm just happy to be here with you."

"Well, who else would I be here with, huh?" Tidus chuckles as he presses his lips into the top of her sweet-smelling hair.

Yuna smiles when she feels the gentle touch of his lips. "Hm, maybe your other girlfriend?"

"Nah, she was busy tonight so I settled with you."

She laughs, her slight frame shaking against his chest. "Lucky me."

"Lucky _me_," says Tidus.

The music comes to another fadeout and the beat of the new song picks up once again. A pack of excited dancers join the parting couples on the floor, but Tidus and Yuna take their time stepping away from each other.

"I'm going to get a drink," Yuna says over the thundering speakers. "Would you like anything?"

Tidus shakes his head. "Nah, I'm good. I'll be waiting here."

Yuna grins quite whimsically before turning and disappearing through the bouncing crowd. Tidus watches her go, running a hand through his stylishly messy hair and feeling as if he were floating off the ground.

"_You_,"

A ferocious sneer somehow cries out over the music and drags Tidus back down to the ground. Utterly confused, he spins around just in time to see a tall form dressed in black silk cutting through the crowd, charging straight toward him.

"You—You heartless ingrate!" As the form approaches nearer, Tidus can see that it's Lulu. Her smokey eyes are raging with unbridled fury and she comes so close to him that Tidus stumbles a few steps backwards. "I cannot _believe_ you would stoop to something this _low_ all for a glorified game of underwater kickball—"

From behind her, Wakka runs up, huffing and puffing with a panicked look on his face. "I'm sorry, brudda, I didn't mean to tell her. It just slipped out!"

"Wait, wait," The pieces start to click together in Tidus' brain and it sends an emergency signal to his thumping heart. He looks at Lulu cautiously. "So… you know?"

"Oh, I _know_," Lulu spits venomously, turning on her heel to jab a manicured finger against Wakka's suit jacket. The redhead swallows audibly. "And I will deal with _you_ later for keeping this from me, but _you_," She spins back around to fix her dangerous gaze on Tidus once again. "You are the _real_ vermin here for tricking that poor, sweet girl into falling in love with you."

"Lulu, chill!" Tidus implores. "I'm gonna tell her the truth, 'kay? She deserves to know," He scratches the back of his head, the panic in his stomach quickly turning into dread. "I'm just… figuring out a way."

"You big meanie!" Someone screeches in the distance.

Tidus jumps around to the other direction to find yet another angry friend storming up to him, this time in a flurry of sparkles and bouncing blond curls.

"You need to call off this bet right now!" Rikku yells at him once she's near, lifting up on her toes to reach his shocked face. "Yunie's gonna get hurt and she may be your _fake_ girlfriend, but she's my _real_ friend."

"Wh-What's going on here?" Tidus stammers, scandalized. "I thought you were on my side!"

Rikku stomps forward, backing him up closer to Lulu who is still fuming behind him. "That's before I realized how totally _disasteriffic_ this plan is!"

"Not to mention completely unethical," Lulu reminds him harshly.

"You definitely took that commitment thing way too far, you know—"

"Hey! Everyone take it easy for a second and let me talk, alright?" Tidus raises his voice above the ladies and throws his arms out, desperate for the chance to explain to his unamused friends. He takes a step away to face their crossed arms and angry scowls. "I get it. I know how bad this is. I wish I could take it all back, but the truth is…" The blond blitzer sighs and allows his arms to fall back to his sides. "At first I was only in it for the game. I wanted to win and go out with a bang for my senior year. But most of all, I wanted to prove my old man wrong and really impress those college scouts. That's why Gippal pissed me off that day… But it never should've gone this far. The bet was supposed to be—"

"Just a game."

Wakka, Lulu, and Rikku stare wide-eyed at the voice coming from over Tidus' shoulder. Recognition floods the boy's ears and, immediately, he spins around. "Yuna…?"

Yuna stands completely frozen and ramrod straight. Her hands are curled into fists by her side and her eyes, devoid of all emotion, are fixated on Tidus. "This was all some big game to you," She speaks, her gentle tone plagued with hurt. "And I was just the grand prize…"

"No, you don't get it—"

"It all makes so much sense now…" She drops her head and clenches her balled fists tight. "Well, congratulations. You won."

"Yuna, _please_," Tidus takes a large stride forward, but Yuna turns away and hurries toward the door. The three friends all flinch, wanting to help, but Tidus is the only one who runs after her, pushing through the thick throngs of dancers. "Wait! Yuna, wait!"

She bursts through the front doors of the school as quickly as her silver heels will take her. She's immediately greeted by a gust of crisp nighttime air, freeing her from the suffocating heat of the gymnasium. It isn't until she overlooks the parking lot that she realizes she has nowhere to escape. Tidus, with his quick speed, soon catches up to her and all but skids to a halt.

"Yuna, c'mon, just listen," He pleads.

"Why should I listen to anything you have to say?" She whips around to reveal a steely expression and, for the first time, Tidus can see that she's crying. "How am I supposed to know whether or not it's all part of some elaborate scheme?"

Tidus takes a shuddering breath, his face twisting with emotion. "Don't talk like that. You know me, you know you can trust me."

"Do I?" Yuna says in a voice that would've sounded much harsher if she weren't struggling to keep her tears at bay. "Because now I'm not so sure. You lied to me. This entire thing has been a lie."

"No, it hasn't," Tidus flings back, but shuffles his feet in place with shame as he backtracks his words. "Well, it kinda was at first… But now it's not," His eyes meet Yuna's with so much intensity, and his heart breaks a little when he notices how wet they are. "I really do love you, Yuna. Remember what I told you at the beach? It's real to me."

For a moment, Yuna fights to keep herself from falling right into his arms. She looks away from his overwhelming gaze and shakes her head. "You've already won your stupid bet. Of course it's real to you now."

"I don't care about the damn bet!"

"Yes, you do!" Yuna shouts back with surprising force. The tears begin to flow freely down her flushed cheeks. "If you truly didn't, then you never would've bumped into me that day. You wouldn't have ever noticed me, just like everyone else. Isn't that right?"

Tidus says nothing, but his eyes sting with tears of his own.

Yuna swallows back a sob. "I should have known… I feel so dumb for thinking that someone like you would take interest in a girl like me."

"You're not dumb, Yuna…" He reaches out a hand, but she pulls away.

"Good luck at your game," She breathes spitefully. "Go Abes."

Tidus wants to scream and drop down to his knees to beg her to forgive him, but his limbs suddenly feel like deadweight tethering him to the ground. As if on cue, Lulu pushes out the front doors with Wakka, once again, hot on her trail. The dark-haired girl brushes past Tidus and wraps a maternal arm around Yuna's slumping shoulders.

"We're taking her home," Lulu calls over her shoulder.

Wakka, from beside Tidus, begins, "But Lu—"

"_Now_," She orders, making Wakka jump. The redhead steals a remorseful glance at his best friend, pats him on the back, and then scuttles after Lulu and Yuna into the parking lot.

Tidus watches them go, still unable to move. Hot tears well up in the corners of his eyes, but only a few manage to spill over the edge and down his cheeks. Wakka's car sputters out to the street, disappearing in the distance, and only then does Tidus allow his raging emotion to take over. He crunches his hands into fists and squeezes his damp eyes shut, releasing a loud, painful cry into the parking lot. He screams until his throat is raw and his chest is heaving as he gasps for air.

And for a moment he thinks that the game is truly over.

**tbc**

* * *

**A/N: The shit has, as they say, definitely hit the fan. HOW MEAN WOULD IT BE IF I JUST ENDED IT HERE? But don't worry, I'm not doing that. I think about two more chapters are on the way! And I have a super secret announcement to make at the end of this fic so REALLY STAY TUNED. **

**PSA: Lulu is a fierce bitch.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Here it is, folks. The aftermath. This chapter is actually pretty chill compared to the last one... Just tying up some loose ends before the end of the story. Just one more chapter after this one and then an epilogue. Holy cow! Anyway, please enjoy!**

* * *

**THE GAME OF LOVE: Chapter 9**

The following Monday morning, Tidus finds Yuna at her locker. To any outsider, the sight of her carefully and quietly loading up her bag with books wouldn't be very unusual, but Tidus knows better. As he comes closer, he can detect the disheartened emptiness in her bi-colored eyes as she mindlessly completes the mundane task.

Tidus takes a deep breath and approaches her. "Hey, uh, Yuna…"

The girl tenses when she notices his presence. Without hardly a passing glance in his direction, she shoulders her bag and slams the locker door shut, marching down the hall with silent speed. Tidus closes his eyes and, with a defeated sigh, leans his forehead against the row of lockers. He doesn't rejoin the rest of the world until he feels a strong hand come down on his shoulder.

"Yo, brudda," The familiar voice says cautiously. "You doin' alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just dandy," Tidus deadpans as he straightens up. "Never better."

Wakka frowns deeply. "She ain't even talkin' to you, ya?"

"Nope, not a word," The blond mumbles, glancing down the hallway to catch the final glimpses of Yuna turning the corner. He looks back to lift an eyebrow at his best friend. "I thought Lulu told you to stay away from me."

"Bah!" The redhead waves his hand dismissively. "I love Lu, but she has her crazy moments, y'know? Like I could stay away from my best pal! 'Specially with you lookin' like you just went through hell and back."

"Gee, thanks."

"So," Wakka is solemn again, his voice low. "Whatcha gonna do now, ya?"

Tidus simply sighs at the question. He's been wondering the same thing since prom night. "I don't have a clue," He admits. "I kinda feel like… You know when someone throws a wicked hard pass right to your gut and it knocks the wind outta you so your lungs start stinging when you choke back water?"

Wakka winces at the description. He's endured his fair share of blitzball injuries over the years. "Aw, man, yeah."

"A million times worse," Tidus says darkly.

His redheaded friend winces once again with sympathy. "You must really love her, ya?"

"I got it bad, that's for sure," The boy leans back against the lockers with a soft thud. "You were right from the start, man. But thanks for not rubbing it in my face."

"Nah, I wouldn't do that," Wakka shakes his head. "Heartbreak ain't somethin' to mess around with, y'know."

From beside the boys, there is a quick clearing of the throat. They turn their heads to see the rare sight of a crestfallen Rikku, kicking the toe of her shoe against the hallway tile and clasping her hands behind her back shamefully. "Um. Hiya."

"Hey," Tidus greets awkwardly.

Wakka puffs out his chest protectively. "If you came back for another argument, then you better beat it, ya?"

"Put a lid on it, tubby! I'm not here to argue," Rikku strikes back before letting her sad eyes drift to the floor again. "I want to… apologize. I thought about it some more over the weekend and it wasn't very cool of me to blow up the way I did. I mean, I'm just as guilty as you, yeah?" She motions to her blond friend, who is staring quite quizzically at her. It's not very often that Rikku swallows her pride and admits her faults. "I knew about it the whole time and didn't say anything to her. I just got mad 'cause Yunie's a really good friend, y'know - the only really good _girl_ friend I have - and I didn't wanna see her get hurt. But now that I know you really feel the way you do… I'm sorry—"

The Al Bhed girl feels her feet leave the floor as Tidus scoops her up in a tight hug. "S'okay, Rikku. I'm just glad that there's one less person who's not completely pissed at me."

"I just hope Yunie's not mad at me, too," Rikku murmurs miserably once she's safely back on the ground.

Wakka rubs the back of his neck. "Far as I know, Lu's the only one she's been talkin' to."

"Can you blame her?" says Tidus. "We were the ones playing along with the bet."

"And don't forget that smart-ass Gippal!" Wakka snaps suddenly. "He's the one who started everything in the first place."

Rikku fidgets her tiny fingers together, her lips pursing with uncertainty. "Oh, yeah… That reminds me. I broke off whatever thing was going on between me and him. Thought you guys might like to know."

She had been expecting cheers and celebratory high-fives from her friends, but instead, they turn to her with wide-eyed stares. "What?! You serious?" They demand.

"I told him I needed some time to think about everything," Rikku explains with a shrug. "Love kinda sucks, y'know?"

"Yeah, I _know_," Tidus grumbles.

Wakka is visibly thrown off by Rikku's uncharacteristically cloudy demeanor. The redhead puts on his most affable grin and pats the girl on the back. "Hey, cheer up! It's for the best, ya? Whatever's meant to be, will be. You just gotta wait it out and see what happens—"

"Oh, you can stuff your pep talk!" Rikku bellows, almost returning to her usual self for a moment. "Just let me mope in peace."

"Y'know what we all need?" Wakka tries to rally his depressed friends once again. "Ice cream. Let's sneak out during lunch and grab some, just like the good 'ol days, ya?"

Tidus feels himself nod without any conscious effort on his part. As much as ice cream might help an average broken heart, he knows that this is something he won't be getting over quite so easily.

* * *

Yuna quickly discovers that mending a broken heart is significantly easier with plenty of junk food and the company of her two best girl friends. Rikku had reeked of sincerity and utter remorse when she approached Yuna at school that Monday morning and, honestly, the discouraged brunette couldn't reject the girl who has become so much like a sister to her. After all, Rikku's small role in the devious ploy isn't what has left Yuna's heart feeling crippled with hurt. And Lulu - the strong and stoic girl has been like a maternal rock ever since prom night.

"I hate boys," Rikku whines. She sprawls out atop Yuna's bed with her head hanging over the side as she shoves a handful of skittles into her mouth.

Lulu, sitting on the floor beside the Al Bhed girl's head, rolls her eyes. "So you've said - about ten times now."

Rikku shoots her an upside-down glare. "Says the girl with a _boyfriend_!"

"You and Wakka _are_ still together, aren't you?" Yuna pipes up worriedly from her bed.

"Of course we are," Lulu responds calmly, examining her pristine nails. "Wakka is very hard to ignore when he gets his mind set on something. His apologies have been nothing if not persistent and numerous."

"I'm glad," Yuna whispers, bringing her knees into her chest. "I would hate for all of this to cause any kind of trouble for you two—"

"Enough," Lulu silences the girl with a stern tone and a raised hand. "Tonight is about you. You shouldn't be concerning yourself over the problems of others."

Yuna glances around her bed, now littered with various bags of snacks. Although she appreciates the gesture, she hasn't had much of an appetite. She also appreciates her friends dedicating an entire night to her, but it only seems to remind her of the evident heartache - and Yuna's done quite enough crying for one weekend.

Rikku sits up and places a hand on Yuna's knee. The girl looks up with glassy eyes. "We're here for you, y'know."

"Thank you - both of you, really. I know this will pass in time. I just need to…" Yuna trails off quietly. Even as the words fall from her lips, she questions their legitimacy. It seems near impossible to imagine this pain passing, especially when her mind has a tendency to wander toward memories of him at any given moment.

"If you need to talk about it, that's why we're here," Lulu soothes.

Yuna blinks her eyes, which have somehow become watery, and sniffles defiantly, "No, no… I'm fine."

The other two girls share a skeptical look just as a soft sob ripples from Yuna's throat. She buries her face into her knees as Rikku crawls over a mound of pillows to rest her head on the girl's shoulder. "Oh, Yunie…" The Al Bhed girl coos.

"I'm sorry… I'm fine, really," She wipes quickly at her eyes.

"Don't apologize," Lulu tells her. "You've done nothing. He's the one who's in the wrong."

"I feel… used," Yuna breathes, her staggered inhales becoming shaky. "I really trusted in him and all I turned out to be was some kind of object to win a silly game."

Lulu shakes her head with annoyance. "Boys and their blitzball."

Rikku keeps an arm around Yuna's trembling frame, a deep frown tugging at her lips. "It was like that at first, but he really does love you, Yunie," She says. "It's not just a game to him anymore, y'know?"

As comforting as her friend's words were intending to be, they only seem to make Yuna's eyes produce even more tears. Her heart secretly thrums at the prospect of his genuine feelings, but she quickly stifles the sensation. She's been naive about love for far too long now. The boy she thought she could depend on has been deceiving her from the very beginning.

So how is she to possibly know what's real anymore?

* * *

Practice ended over an hour ago, but Tidus ignores his throbbing muscles and stays on the field until the sun has completely sunken below the horizon. His hair is damp with sweat and his knuckles and knees are bruised from too many drills, but he keeps pushing forward. The field is the one place he goes when there's something on his mind, but not even the comfortable high of perfecting a blitzball trick can recapture his concentration this time.

"_This was all some big game to you… And I was just the grand prize." _

He stands in the middle of the field, blitzball in hand and his eyes unfocused.

"_You lied to me… This entire thing has been a lie."_

The ball flies straight up in the air and he punts it with the top of his head, sending it even higher into the sky.

"_You wouldn't have ever noticed me, just like everyone else. Isn't that right?" _

He braces himself as the ball comes back down, winding his arm back to punch it clear across the field. The blitzball soars through the air until it crashes into the adjacent fence, his knuckles trembling from the impact.

"Keep your shoulder down, idiot. You're gonna throw out your back if you keep spiraling the shoulder blade like that."

Tidus looks over his shoulder. Jecht stands behind him, arms crossed and unsmiling. The blond boy scoffs under his breath and turns back around. "I don't need your help."

Jecht cracks a smirk. "Then have fun in the emergency room, kid."

"Whatever," He growls quietly. His father is the last person he wants to deal with right now.

"Better not bring that attitude into the arena with you," Jecht presses on with annoying persistence. "ZU's not even gonna waste their time with a leader who can't keep his emotions in check."

"It doesn't matter," Tidus shoots back bitterly. "ZU's just a pipe dream after all, right, old man?"

The coach strolls closer, danger lurking in every step. "Well, look at that. The tough guy's giving up already," When he receives no reply from his son, Jecht speaks a bit louder. "You're still all torn up over the girl, ain't ya?"

Tidus' muscles clench violently. "How do you know about that?"

"You think I don't hear what you loudmouths are yakking about in the locker room?" Jecht says with a gravelly laugh. "I know all about your little bet with those Al Bhed punks and I gotta say - I'm more impressed than I thought I'd be. Pretty high stakes you're playin' with, boy. Too bad you went and screwed it all up," He looks somewhat pensive as he says, "Guess the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree."

With that, Tidus swirls around on the spot. His face is flushed with anger as he yells, "What's _that_ supposed to mean? I'm nothing like you!"

"Oh, yeah?" Jecht counters with sadistic amusement. "You're hurting someone else just to get what you want. You're too selfish to realize what a good thing you got goin' for you. Face it, kid. You're no better than your old man—"

"Shut up!" Tidus' voice echoes through the empty field as he charges toward his father at top speed. The man barely flinches when his son reaches him, simply holding out his hands to grab Tidus' wrists before he can do any harm. Jecht easily overpowers the boy, who is left frantically writhing and fighting against his hold. "I hate you! I hate you so much! And I'm _not_ a total scumbag like you are!"

"Quit yappin' and listen for a change, alright?" Jecht releases his hold, throwing his son to the hard ground in a heap. With his body now drained of energy, all Tidus can do is gasp for air, seething up at his father with fiery eyes. Jecht looms over him as he says gruffly, "Now's your chance. Now's your chance to do what your _total scumbag_ of an old man never had the balls to do," Something in his expression shifts, but Tidus can't quite place it. "I love your mom, got it? She's the best damn thing that ever happened to me, but I never appreciated her the way I should've. Yuna's not the kind of girl you meet every damn day, kid. She's a special one. And if you wanna keep her around, you gotta make the effort. You hear me?"

Tidus stares at his father, bewildered and astonished. He isn't used to receiving advice from him that is actually helpful and not demeaning. When he finally speaks, it's with great caution to make sure his voice doesn't crack or waver. "What do you expect me to do? She won't even talk to me anymore."

Jecht looks down at the boy as if he were a bothersome insect and huffs out a quick breath. "Huh. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe you're nothin' like me after all," The man lifts his gaze toward the night sky. "All I know is that if I were you, I sure as hell wouldn't go down without a fight."

The blond athlete says nothing, but scrambles to his feet gracelessly. Although his father makes a point, he refuses to give him the satisfaction of thanking him.

"Now keep that goddamn shoulder down before I tear it off myself, ya hear me?" Jecht shoves his son - who has to stumble forward to keep from falling over completely - and turns on his heel to start walking off the field.

Tidus watches his old man go, his heavy footsteps crunching against the grassy terrain, and then turns to find the blitzball sitting against the fence in the distance. His body aches and his mind is spinning, but somehow, amongst the mayhem, there is a moment of clarity - and he suddenly knows exactly what he must do.

**tbc**

* * *

**A/N: Shit's gettin' real. And just in time for the championship game! DUN DUN DUN. Stay tuned! **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I find it hilarious that I made it through an entire chapter with so many interspersed sport references/descriptions when I, myself, have as much athletic knowledge/ability as the nearest inanimate object. Hooray for faking it! Anyway, here it is, folks. The penultimate chapter of this little fic. I'll save my gooey, long-winded author's note for the next one, but just know that I'm a big 'ol bundle of emotion right now. **

* * *

**THE GAME OF LOVE: Chapter 10 **

The line stretching outside the Recreation Center's large double doors is easily a mile long. Fans, friends, and family members mingle with anxious excitement as they await their entrance. Inside, the giant sphere in the center of the stadium fills with fresh water, engulfing the entire amphitheater with the potent stench of chlorine. The lights focus down on the empty seats, the massive screen from above buzzes to life with a pixelated blitzball logo and, just like that, it's officially game day.

Tidus arrives with time to spare. He slips past the crowds through the backdoor, nearly unrecognizable as the star athlete without his blitz jersey on. The back hallway is devoid of any teammates, but he can hear them chatting from behind the locker room door. Except Tidus isn't searching for any Abes. He keeps walking until he reaches the Psyches locker room, then tentatively pushes through the door.

The room is empty save for Gippal, standing in the corner by his open locker. He turns around when he hears the door creak open and a sardonic smirk crosses his lips when he recognizes his visitor. "Well, if it isn't the man of the hour."

Tidus kicks the tip of his shoe against the floor tile sheepishly. "I wouldn't go _that_ far…"

"You get lost?" Gippal asks, returning to his locker. He begins clearing out all of his personal belongings, dumping them carelessly into his backpack. "You do know that this is the Psyches locker room, don't you?"

"Yeah, the sign outside the door kinda tipped me off."

"Huh," The Al Bhed mutters dryly. "So you came to gloat?"

"Actually," Tidus settles a level gaze on the back of Gippal's blond head. "I came to forfeit."

A stick of deodorant falls from Gippal's hand and lands with a smack into his open bag - though Tidus has a hunch that it wasn't necessarily intentional. Slowly, Gippal turns around, his swirled eyes skeptical and confounded as he sizes up the boy before him. "…Come again?"

Tidus' certainty is impressively unwavering as he reiterates, "I'm pulling out of the game today."

"Nice try, superstar," Gippal chuckles low and menacing. "I don't know what kinda idiot you take me for, but there's no way I'm gonna—"

"I'm done following the rules of this stupid game," Tidus says at last, his solid determination quickly melting into exasperation. He lifts his hands, palms facing out, in front of his chest. "So I surrender, 'kay? The bet is officially off. You can play today if you want, I don't care. But I'm done."

Gippal is silent as he tries to make sense of the other boy's words. Incredulously, he wonders, "You already made it this far and now you're just gonna back out?"

With a sadly wry shrug, Tidus says simply, "My heart's just not in it."

"Well, then, I gotta admit," Gippal crosses his arms, returning to his usual snarky ways. "I seriously misjudged you. I guess you're more than just a blitz-brained jackass after all."

Tidus makes a face. "Uh… Thanks? I think?"

Gippal chuckles again before turning back around, his smirk lifting up a bit more into what could possibly pass as a true smile. Tidus realizes that this is probably the best apology he's likely to receive from him any time soon. Still, he speaks up again with a little more breeziness to his tone. "Hey," And Gippal looks over his shoulder once more. "Good luck out there. Just try to take it easy on my team now that they're down their best player, got it?"

"No promises, but I'll do my best," The Al Bhed strides forward and holds out his hand expectantly. Tidus, with good sportsmanship, accepts the handshake with a grin. Gippal keeps their grip tight as his expression falls visibly. "By the way… Sorry about what happened with Yuna. I know what it's like to lose the girl you care about."

Tidus wonders idly if he's referring to Rikku. The boy retracts his hand and replies appreciatively, "Here's hoping she won't be lost for long."

Gippal nods, his expression still solemn as he walks back to his locker. Tidus catches a glimpse of him restocking his locker right before he turns to leave the room. The blond boy starts making his way down the hall again, but stops short when he hears a gang of footsteps rounding the corner behind him.

"Wait up, captain!"

Wakka, in his usual jersey, saunters toward his best friend, closely trailed by the remainder of their teammates. Tidus can't help but smile when he sees his team dressed and ready for the game, despite the twinge of sadness that soon follows when he remembers that he won't be joining them in the arena.

"Yo, what's with the long faces, guys?" He jabs his fist into the air. "It's game day - get pumped!"

They all share a guilty look before Letty pipes up from the front of the group. "Yeah, about that… We were kinda thinkin', y'know… Since _you're_ forfeiting the game today…"

"Then so are we!" Wakka interjects with fierce determination as his fellow teammates nod enthusiastically. "You're our leader and it just don't feel right to win this thing without you. Once an Abe, always an Abe, ya?"

Tidus goggles openly at his friends. "Guys… I'm flattered and everything, but…" He waves a nonchalant hand. "Forget about me. You can't let all that hard work go to waste, y'know? Not to mention my old man would probably blow a gasket."

A few teammates chuckle nervously at the thought as Wakka frowns, "You at least gonna be out there cheerin' us on?"

"I will if I have time, but, uh…" Tidus scratches the back of his head and shuffles his feet. "I gotta take care of something important first."

Wakka takes in his friend's mild bout of nerves, his eyes sparkling knowingly. "Ohhh, I see - the _girl_!" The redhead bellows playfully over his shoulder at the team. "He's gonna win her back, ya!"

The Abes erupt in a boisterous cheer that leaves Tidus rolling his eyes. They disperse and circle around their captain, clapping him on the back and offering some well-intentioned words of wisdom.

"Go get 'er, stud!"

"Pick up some flowers on the way there, will ya?"

"Put the moves on her—"

"Jeez, guys!" Tidus swats his friends away with an embarrassed laugh. "I can handle it!"

Wakka pounds a fist against his chest proudly. "You go take care of business with Yuna, and we'll take care of business with those Al Bhed losers."

With a smile of newfound confidence, Tidus hurries down the hall, but not before calling over his shoulder, "Give 'em hell, Abes!"

From the center of the stadium, Tidus can hear the crowd cry eagerly in their seats - the sphere must be filled and ready to go. There is a faint crackling sound before the announcer's voice echoes through the overhead speakers: "Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to blitz?"

The crowd roars in response, applauding and stomping their feet wildly. Even from the back hallway, the sound of the audience's cheer sends a thrilling pulse through Tidus' veins. He knows what it's like to feel overheated from the blaring lights above the stadium; the crisp coolness of taking that initial dive into the water-filled sphere; the chanting of his name when he scores an impressive goal.

But today they won't be chanting his name. Instead, Tidus must swallow his pride, listen to his heart, and calmly walk away.

* * *

In his haste, Tidus ends up parking quite haphazardly in Yuna's driveway, but he figures that there is more to worry about than proper driving etiquette. He barrels up to the front door and rings the bell, pacing the front porch until it opens.

"Tidus," says Mayor Braska, looking much less kind than Tidus remembers him. "Hello."

"Mister Mayor - uh, sir - I gotta talk to your daughter," The boy explains breathlessly as the words pour uncontrollably past his mouth. "I know she probably doesn't wanna see me - and you probably don't either - but I just have to tell her something really important. Please."

The mayor purses his lips as his eyes rake over Tidus' frantic expression. "I'm afraid you just missed her. She won't be back until later, you see."

"Bullshit!" Tidus snaps, but immediately regrets his passionate outburst. Braska's eyes widen in surprise just as the boy attempts to appease. "Uh, I mean… with all due respect, sir - but her car's sitting in the driveway."

Mayor Braska says nothing except, "I think you ought to head home now."

"No, please, just…" Tidus steps forward to plead, but the mayor closes the door another inch to prevent an unwelcome entrance. Prompty, he comes to a halt. "Just lemme tell her something. If she doesn't wanna hear it, then fine - I'll get lost. But I'll never forgive myself if I don't tell her how I really feel. Right now."

The mayor clearly detects - and perhaps sympathizes with - the boy's desperation, for in that moment, after a few moments of tentative staring, the hard lines creasing his forehead begin to soften. Braska moves aside and with a soft, low voice tells him, "She's upstairs. First door on the left. Please be quick."

Tidus heaves a heavy sigh of relief and hurdles into the house. He hastily navigates his way up the stairs and, with the mayor's brief instructions, finds Yuna's bedroom door shut tight. Tidus lifts his fist, poised to knock, but then lets it fall by his side again.

"Yuna?" He calls out quietly, his voice sounding distant and unsure. "It's, uh… It's me."

There is silence for a long while. Tidus begins to think that maybe he's approached the wrong door until a very small but assertive voice replies from the other side. "Please leave."

Tidus leans in, nearly pressing his nose against the door. "No, please, I just wanna say something—"

"Tidus, I don't want to hear it," Yuna sighs. "I've heard enough."

"You haven't heard the truth. Not all of it," He insists. "I just need a few minutes of your time, then I'll leave if you still want me to. Promise."

Yuna is slightly defeated when she finally says, "Fine. What is it?"

The words don't come even though he's been granted the opportunity to redeem himself. Tidus freezes in place, gawking down at the floor as his mind scrambles for the speech that he's practiced so meticulously over the past few days.

"Well?" Yuna prompts.

"I know, I know. Just gimme a second," He leans his forehead against the door with a soft thud. "Damn… I didn't know it'd be this hard."

Inside the room, Yuna sits on the ground, her back pressing against the door and her knees pulled tightly into her chest. She inwardly scolds herself for feeling a pang of affection strike her chest at the boy's blatant nervousness.

"I'm sorry, Yuna," Tidus finally manages to croak. "I've heard enough sorrys in my life to know that's not the way it works - it's not like it fixes anything. So I guess I'll just say…" He shrugs even though she can't see. "You're right. This wasn't ever supposed to happen. I got wrapped up in the game and then… wrapped up in _you_," His eyes sting with oncoming tears, but he presses forward with a slightly raspier voice. "You changed the rules on me until I realized that it wasn't even a game anymore. And now I'm in so deep that I can't quit even if I wanted to - which I don't. I don't wanna give up on you," Tidus watches a teardrop fall from his cheek and onto the wooden floor beside his shoe. "I wanna do whatever it takes to make you see that I love you. For real. You name it, I'll do anything. Just… come out here, Yuna. Say something. Please."

Yuna doesn't even realize she's crying until small, hot tears sprinkle down from the bottom of her chin. She swipes at them uselessly, but yet mutters no reply.

"Yeah… I figured," Tidus mumbles, nearly inaudible. He waits a moment longer for some kind of reply, hears nothing, and slowly pushes himself off the door.

Yuna squeezes her eyes shut, hoping to stifle her tears, and listens as Tidus' heavy, dejected footsteps pound down the hallway. When she opens her eyes again, they inexplicably land on her alarm clock, blaring a bright three 'o clock. She blinks past the blurriness, convinced that can't be right, and looks again. The time remains the same. Her mind does a double-take and, suddenly, she's scurrying to her feet and bursting through her door.

"Tidus, wait!"

The blond boy pauses at the top of the stairs, gazing over his shoulder with a confused and tear-stained face.

"What are you doing here?" Yuna wonders worriedly. "The game is supposed to start right now."

"I know," He says simply. "I'm not playing."

Yuna blinks at him, unsettled. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I stepped down this morning."

Her mind attempts to comprehend, but nothing seems to add up. She shakes her head quickly, soft strands of brunette hair whipping against her damp skin. "You… You didn't. But what about the college scouts?"

"That doesn't matter anymore," He answers brokenly.

"Of course it does!" Yuna's sudden outburst seems to take them both by surprise. She moves toward him, but stops herself before she's close enough to reach out to him. "This is your dream, remember?"

"It's… It's whatever, Yuna," Tidus' brow furrows with some kind of inner conflict, but he still manages to lift his steady gaze toward the girl. "I found a better dream anyway - you."

Their teary eyes watch each other carefully. Tidus grips onto the stairway railing with white knuckles to hold himself together, while Yuna takes in a quick, shuddery breath.

"Tidus…"

"If I play this game, all I'm ever gonna think about is what I gave up to get there. It's not worth it to me anymore," He, too, moves toward her, but Yuna is too shellshocked to back away. His hands search for hers until there is warm, skin-to-skin contact. "Yuna, I'm begging you. Just gimme another chance."

She hesitates, momentarily distracted by the warmth of his touch spreading throughout her body - a touch she, admittedly, misses very much. Despite the anticipation of his final statement, Yuna knows that he doesn't have much time to spare. Her gaze rises, firm and resolute. "You have to play, Tidus."

"I'm not gonna," He shakes his head.

"Please, you—"

"_No_. Not until you answer me," Tidus holds onto her hands, his voice plagued with anguish. "Can we make this work?"

Yuna, feeling slightly lightheaded from all of this, carefully retracts her hands. "You have to go."

As if losing her touch were the final straw, Tidus inhales deeply. His blue eyes take her in one last time before spinning around, hiding the new tears rolling down his cheeks. Yuna twitches forward when he starts to leave, but neither of them say anything as he descends the stairs.

She knows that he's running out of time. She knows that he's too stubborn to play the game. But she knows, most of all, that she can't let him just walk out of her life for good.

* * *

Abes, zero; Psyches, four. These are the miserable stats that greet Tidus from the scoreboard when he drives back to the recreation center. He'd promised his team that he would watch the match if there was still time and despite the difficulty of watching them be mercilessly crushed, Tidus doesn't go back on his word.

He skids to a halt just as he bursts through the doors of the arena. On the giant screen, the camera zooms in on a Psyche ramming himself into one of the Abes' fielders, knocking him back against the glass wall of the sphere. Tidus clenches his jaw. The crowd goes wild.

"C'mon, guys…"

* * *

Spotting Rikku and Lulu so quickly amongst the rowdy crowd is a pure stroke of luck. Yuna finds them on their feet with the rest of the mob, Lulu looking on concernedly with Rikku bouncing on her toes to see over the head of the man in front of her.

"D'you think they'll make a comeback or what?" Rikku asks anxiously.

"It's hard to say," Lulu muses softly as the buzzer sounds with another goal for the Psyches. Her sharp eyes never lose track of Wakka as he swims back to position, shaking off a particularly nasty blow from an oncoming ball. "They're taking quite a beating out there…"

"Rikku, Lulu!" The girls both turn when they hear their names through the uproar. Yuna charges down the aisle toward their seats with wide, panicked eyes. "Have you seen Tidus?"

Rikku scrunches up her nose, perplexed. "Not lately… But I thought he was dropping out."

"He is," Yuna confirms. "That's why I need to find him as quick as possible."

"Is everything alright?" asks Lulu, ever prudent.

"Yes, everything is fine," The brunette says. "But I came here to tell him that he's making a huge mistake… And that I made one, too."

Yuna's cheeks heat up at her own confession while Rikku and Lulu share a knowing look. The girl expects a stern lecture from her friends - particularly Lulu - about the benefits of protecting her heart and not being so quick to forgive. She begins formulating an impressive argument in her head when Lulu moves past her into the aisle.

"Come," She instructs calmly. "We'll help you look for him."

When Yuna looks to Lulu, she is smiling kindly - a silent and much appreciated gesture of approval. Yuna grins back, giggling in relief, and Rikku bounds happily past the both of them.

"Look sharp, ladies. We've got ourselves a runaway captain to find!"

* * *

Gippal jets past the fielders, knocks his shoulder roughly into Wakka's chest, and hurls the ball toward the opposing goal.

"Whoa! Keepa, your left!" Tidus yells at the sphere.

The Abes' goalkeeper, Keepa, lunges half a second too late. The blitzball whizzes through the goal, earning them another demeaning buzz from overhead.

"Dammit!"

* * *

"Hey, is that him?"

Rikku rallies her friends' attention and points a finger into the distance.

Yuna squints. "Where?"

"Over there!" The blond girl cries out, jabbing her finger across the center of the stadium. "At the base of the sphere!"

Yuna's eyes scan the adjacent rows of seats, finding it difficult to focus on anything with all the commotion of the fans. Her attention flickers downward and, through the crystal clear water of the sphere, she spots the familiar sight of Tidus, watching his teammates swim through the arena.

Her breath hitches inside her throat. "It is him."

"Hey! Heeeeeey!" Rikku jumps in place, waving her hands over her head wildly. "Look over here, you big lug!"

"Save your breath. It's useless," Lulu places a hand on the Al Bhed's shoulder to silence her squawking. "He's much too far away to hear us."

Rikku pouts. "But it's gonna take _forever_ to cut through this crowd."

Yuna, with her bi-colored eyes still fixated on Tidus, does the only thing she can think of. She runs to the edge of the stand and leans over the railing. Her fingers fly to her lips as she shuts her eyes, takes in a deep breath, and blows.

A high, shimmering whistle pierces through the stadium.

A few of the players momentarily pause their gameplay, glancing over their shoulders when the sound reaches their ears. But more importantly, from clear across the stadium, Tidus perks up in wonder. Their eyes are drawn together like magnets, holding each other's gaze until he takes off sprinting through the crowd. Yuna runs, too, pushing past the cheering fans to reach him as fast as possible.

For a moment, the roar of the crowd disappears around her and all she can hear is the deafening thud of her heart against her chest. Her legs carry her impossibly fast, clumsily maneuvering through the throng of fans until she crashes right into Tidus' strong and waiting arms.

"Hey… You practiced," He smiles into her hair.

Gasping, Yuna clings to him. "Good thing. It actually came in handy."

He chuckles, still catching his breath, and then wonders, "What are you—"

"You've already said everything you need to say," Yuna pulls away just enough to effectively interrupt him with a delicate finger pressing against his parted lips. "Now it's my turn," She flushes a fair pink, but speaks with utter conviction. "I'm sorry I didn't say this sooner, but if you love me enough to give up your dream, then I love you enough not to let you."

"Yuna, you—"

But she cuts him off again with a warm smile. "I love you. For real."

"I love you, too," Tidus breathes, a hand cupping her pink cheek. "For real."

She lifts up on her toes as he leans in, their lips meeting in a tender and long-awaited kiss. They both contemplate remaining as they are for the rest of the game, but Yuna still has an agenda. She pulls away slowly, giggling when Tidus' lips chase after hers.

"Now go," She tells him. "If you hurry, you'll still have time to play in the second half."

Tidus straightens up with renewed spirits and gives an energetic salute. "Right on!"

A loud, throaty voice comes up from behind. "Didn't think you'd actually show, coward."

They both spin around to find Jecht in a wide, unamused stance, glaring daggers at his son. "You've never had the guts to face your fears before," He continues.

Tidus steps forward with a lifted chin, his fists balling determinedly at his sides. "I'm ready to play, old man."

"Oh, is that right?" The coach laughs riotously. "And what makes you think that you're welcome back on the team?"

"Jecht…" Both men watch as Yuna walks forward gracefully, a shy and hopeful grin tugging at her lips. "Please. We would both very much appreciate it."

As Yuna must have predicted, Jecht begins to fidget. The burly man scratches the back of his neck, shuffles his feet, and releases a low grunt of exasperated defeat. "What're you still standin' around for, huh? You think we got all the time in the world?" He waves a forceful hand at his son. "Go put your damn uniform on and scram, kid."

Yuna turns to Tidus and places a quick kiss on his cheek. "I'll be watching. Good luck."

She takes off again through the stadium and Tidus watches her retreating back until she's out of sight. As if returning from a daze, he shakes his head - an obnoxiously satisfied grin on his face - and takes one step in the other direction.

"Hold it, punk," Jecht orders and Tidus stops. "Before you start runnin' off…"

"Yeah? What is it?" Tidus turns to find his father in an unrecognizable state. He looks entirely disgruntled and uncomfortable, his upper lip curling in contempt.

"You, uh… You've come a long way, y'know," Jecht forces out roughly. "Used to be such a crybaby, always blubberin' or complainin' about something stupid—"

Tidus plants his hands on his hips. "I get it, dad."

"Right. And, uh, anyway. What I'm tryin' to say is…" The man makes a face as though he were about to be violently ill, but his tone softens almost imperceptively. "It makes me pretty proud."

Unmoving, Tidus blinks. "Huh?"

"Got a hearin' problem or somethin'?" Jecht demands gruffly, returning to his normal ways. "Don't make me repeat myself, boy."

His father's rude remarks often just make him want to kick something, but Tidus finds himself grinning. "Thanks, dad."

Jecht scowls. "Yeah, yeah. Now move your ass and go win this thing, ya hear?!"

**tbc**

* * *

**A/N: Ready? One, two, three... AWWW. No, but seriously. You didn't think you'd make it through a rom-com-esque high school AU without a big makeup scene, did you? THERE'S ONLY ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFT. AHHH. DON'T LEAVE YET, FOOLS.**


	11. Epilogue

**A/N: Oh my goodness, gracious... I'm literally floored that I'm finishing this story so soon. I haven't stopped writing all weekend so that might have something to do with it, but still. Without further ado, I give you the final chapter of the fic! Enjoy. **

* * *

**THE GAME OF LOVE: Epilogue**

It is an unfavorable time of year for an outdoor graduation ceremony, but the administration insists that the sports field is the only area on campus that's big enough to accommodate the entire senior class and their families. Although they have a point, it doesn't change the fact that everyone must endure two hours underneath the blaring summer sun, clad in their finest and—even worse—heavy graduation gowns.

After the diplomas have been handed out and the class valedictorian makes his long-winded speech, Principal Guado takes the stage with his usual ominous presence.

Tidus doesn't pay much attention to the speech. He leans forward in his chair and glances down the row to find Yuna, looking pleasantly attentive up at the stage.

"Psst!" He whispers sharply, catching the attention of a few others sitting down the row, but—most importantly—Yuna's. The girl smiles when she notices his playful blue eyes fixated on her and even blushes when he winks. Tidus manages to catch a few words as their principal continues to prattle on. He mentions something about courage as they delve into their bright futures.

But Tidus tunes it out again. Glancing at Yuna, with her eyes sparkling in the sunlight and her giggle sweet as it quietly drifts past his ears, he knows that he doesn't need any courage—because delving into a future with her is bound to be brighter than anyone could ever imagine.

* * *

"Oh, honey, congratulations!"

Tidus is immediately bombarded by his mother as soon as he approaches his parents after the ceremony. She is noticeably teary-eyed as she pulls him in, squeezing with unexpected strength.

"Mom—chill! I'm gonna need my lungs eventually," Tidus chokes.

She releases him with a sniffle and steps back, sheepish. "I'm sorry—I just can't believe my baby boy is a high school graduate now…"

From beside her, Jecht sighs gruffly and pulls a small packet of tissues from his jacket pocket. His wife accepts them graciously and proceeds to blow her nose loudly. The man wears a plain pair of dark slacks and a white dress shirt that isn't quite tucked in properly. His suit jacket is unbuttoned and his tie is lopsided, but Tidus can tell that his father put in some effort to look presentable—in his own way.

"I knew she was gonna be a wreck today," Jecht grumbles, looking over at his son with a cocky smirk. "Now you know why you turned out to be such a crybaby, right, kid?"

Tidus rolls his eyes. "Up yours..."

"You just gonna stand there stiff as a pole?" Jecht strides forward confidently and holds out a sturdy hand. "Or are you gonna suck it up and shake your old man's hand?"

Slightly stunned, Tidus' mouth slowly stretches into a grin. He clasps onto his hand with a smack and gives it a strong shake—though never as strong as his father, the boy notes bitterly.

"Good job, squirt," says Jecht. "Looks like you're not as much of a screw up as I thought you'd be."

"…Thanks, dad."

"Then again, now you got your whole life ahead of you. There's still time to bomb."

"_Thanks_, dad."

"Oh, leave him be, Jecht. He probably wants to see his friends, not listen to your nonsense," Tidus' mother, now composed, gripes as she pulls her husband away toward the parking lot. "We'll see you at home, honey! Remember, the graduation party starts at five."

Tidus waves as they bicker all the way to the car. "Later!"

As he turns, a tidal wave of muscle and navy gown crashes into him, nearly tackling him to the grass. Tidus grunts under the attacker's weight, struggling to keep them both upright.

"Dude!" Wakka cries as he ignores his best friend's protests and captures him in a tight headlock. "We did it, ya? We're officially outta this joint!"

"Jeez, what's with everyone trying to kill me today?" Tidus groans, pushing uselessly on Wakka's beefy arm. "Gimme my head back, man!"

Wakka guffaws loudly and pulls his arm away. Tidus gasps for air while the redhead smiles widely, revealing a row of big white teeth. The blitzer plants his fists on his hips, owning the fact that he looks ridiculous in his oversized graduation getup—especially with the way the front of his fiery hair sticks out from under his cap.

"Party still on at your place, brudda?" Wakka asks.

"You bet!" Tidus smirks mischievously as he adds, "Need a lift?"

The redhead heaves a dramatic sigh and drops his head—his usual reaction to anything vehicle-related ever since his beloved Machina 300 officially kicked the bucket a few days prior. Rikku's father had insisted that he'd done everything he could to save it, but the ancient car was too far beyond professional repair.

"Nah, Lu's takin' me," Wakka pats his best friend on the back to usher him in the other direction. "But before we start headin' over, Rikku wants us to take a few group pictures."

Tidus chuckles good-naturedly. "Oh, great. That means we won't be leaving anytime soon."

"Hey, she's gotta point, ya?" The redhead says. "Gotta document the day, y'know? Won't be too long before we're all goin' off in different directions. I'll just be some guy you used to kick a blitzball around with, once upon a time."

"As if you seriously believe that!" Tidus elbows Wakka in the side to lift his spirits, holding out his fist expectantly. "It's gonna take more than a little distance to break up the dream team. Best bros for life, right, man?"

Wakka is grinning again in no time, pounding his fist into the other boy's. "You got that right, brudda!"

"Quit bromancing and hurry over here!" Rikku's bossy voice barks from across the field, now scattered with classmates and their proud family members.

Tidus and Wakka find their friends loitering on the bottom bench of the bleachers. Rikku is flitting around, the tassel of her cap flapping beside her face as she collects everyone's phone to take pictures with. She hands them all over to Gippal, who is standing off to the side, looking very much like a model for a fancy J. Crew catalogue. He came to the ceremony for Rikku—Tidus assumes—and, judging by the way they're smiling at one another, a reconciliation can't be too far off.

Yuna and Lulu chat happily by the bleachers, but avert their attention when their respective boyfriends come to join them.

"Congratulations, you two," Yuna smiles. "Are you excited for the summer?"

"Ya, you bet," Wakka replies, his voice dropping low as he mumbles, "Our last summer…"

Lulu shakes her head, exasperated. "And he says _I'm_ the depressing one."

"What? It's true, y'know!" The redhead wraps an arm around his girlfriend's waist to bring her closer. "Things are gonna get crazy from now on."

"Why must you insist on being so thick-headed?" Lulu wonders dryly. "The world is not going to stop spinning once college begins."

Lulu and Wakka were both fortunate enough to get accepted into the same school at the end of the semester. He likes Besaid University for its blitzball team, while Lulu is attending for its renowned literature program. Tidus often thinks how lucky they'll be to have each other around during the first year at a new school. He couldn't imagine Wakka coping well without Lulu nearby, anyway.

"Ya, I know… You're right, Lu," Wakka finally mutters.

"Of course I am."

"Aren't you always?" In a rare moment of affection, the couple smile at one another before leaning in to steal a quick kiss.

Yuna giggles quietly at their sweetness, then moves toward Tidus to snuggle into his side and give her friends some privacy. "Please don't tell me you're having separation anxiety, too."

"Hey," Tidus rubs his hand soothingly over the girl's shoulder. "We've got all summer before we have to start worrying about that. And I dunno about you, but I'm planning on making it a good one. You with me?"

She has to grin at his optimism, nodding her head with determination. "You've got yourself a deal."

"Hey, lovebirds," Gippal interrupts their moment, motioning to the phones in his hand as he steps in front of them. "You mind? I'm trying to make some photographic magic over here."

Wakka smirks wickedly and reaches over to nudge Tidus. "I guess someone's still a little bitter about the championship game, ya?"

The boys laugh and, to everyone's surprise, even Gippal chuckles in spite of himself. "Shut up before I crop you out, _brudda_."

Rikku hops over to her friends, slinging an arm around Yuna's waist and lifting her other hand to make bunny ears behind Wakka's head.

"Ready?" She says. "Say cheese!"

* * *

The party starts a little later than expected, mostly due to Rikku's indecisiveness when it comes to choosing the perfect instagram filter. However, that doesn't stop the friends from enjoying themselves as they celebrate the high that accompanies post-graduation freedom.

When night falls, everyone says their goodbyes and heads home. Before Tidus can sneak away to his room with Yuna, his mother insists that he help with cleanup duties around the house. Yuna offers to assist, too, but he urges her to wait upstairs until he's finished.

He comes into his room to find Yuna sitting on the edge of his bed, an array of opened envelopes scattered before her. She appears to be rather shocked as he closes the door behind him.

"What's that?" Tidus asks.

"You tell me," Yuna looks up at him, her gaze steady and calm. "They look like acceptance letters."

Tidus' eyes widen as his mind processes exactly what she's found. Nervously, he walks forward and takes a seat across from her. "Listen, Yuna…"

"I wasn't snooping around, I promise," She explains quickly, her cheeks flushing pink. "They were just sitting out on your desk when I passed by."

He scratches the back of his head. "Hey, don't worry, I'm not mad."

Yuna points to one of the envelopes sitting between them. "This one's from ZU," She reaches for Tidus' hand and smiles brightly. "It sounds like they really want you to play for them. This is fantastic news—why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"'Cause…" Tidus sighs. "I was waiting to figure out what I wanna do."

Yuna tilts her head curiously. "Aren't you going to accept their offer? I thought ZU was your dream school."

"It was," He admits, glancing up cautiously at his girlfriend. "…But then I kinda realized that it's miles and _miles_ away from Bevelle."

Yuna pauses, her expression dropping knowingly. Suddenly, it all makes sense. Ever since her announcement that she would be attending Bevelle University in the fall, Tidus became strangely quiet about the subject of school. He never once mentioned anything about receiving an acceptance letter—let alone four. It got Yuna thinking about what Wakka said after their graduation ceremony and how worried he was about their futures. Tidus had assured her that he prefers to focus on their summer, but perhaps he's been worrying about the distance more than he has been letting on.

"I'm not letting you pass up ZU's offer just to be closer to me," Yuna tells him firmly. "Bevelle doesn't even have a blitzball team."

Tidus furrows his brow. "Hey, I didn't say that!"

"But I know you were considering it," She collects up all the envelopes and moves them aside so she can scoot in closer. "You shouldn't be worried about us, you know. We're solid."

"I know that. But it's just…" Tidus sighs quietly in frustration, struggling with his words. He stares down at their hands as he idly plays with Yuna's slender fingers. "Things change, you know? I mean, yeah, we're solid now 'cause we've got the whole summer to spend together. But you're gonna get to Bevelle and have all these new friends that I don't know anything about and all the guys are gonna fall in love with you—"

Yuna can't help but snort out a laugh quite indelicately. "You're not making any sense."

"It's true!" Tidus persists. "You're friendly and cute and I'm not gonna be there to fight the assholes off of you."

"I don't think that's something you'll ever have to worry about," She shakes her head.

"Fine, but still," The boy's anxious eyes stare right into her own as he continues, "What if we both get so busy that we miss a skype date and then we get mad that we forget to make it up so—hey, quit laughing. This is a legitimate thing!"

Yuna does her best to hold back her giggles for her boyfriend's sake, but his mind is wandering so rapidly with such farfetched scenarios that she accidentally allows her amusement to slip out. "I'm fairly positive they have trains, buses, _and_ airships to Bevelle and Zanarkand."

"I know, but—" Tidus exhales sharply, his brain clearly exhausted from having to produce so many worst case scenarios. His shoulders slump in defeat and his eyes dart away. "I guess I'm trying to say that I'm just gonna, y'know… miss you."

Her gaze softens as she covers his limp hand with both of hers. The corner of her mouth twitches upward with reassurance and she speaks gently, "I'm going to miss you, too—every single day. We'll always make time to talk and sometimes even visit each other."

Tidus finally looks up at her again. "I already know what it's like to lose you. No way do I wanna go through that again."

"You won't have to," Yuna says with certainty. "But changing your plan isn't the solution. I don't want either of us to compromise on our dreams. You can still attend ZU without having to go crazy from your worries."

"You think?" A familiar sparkle returns to Tidus' cerulean eyes as he flops back onto his mattress dramatically. "'Cause I'll probably go crazy from thinking about you so much, anyway."

Playfully, Yuna crawls until she's resting on top of him. "But what will Zanarkand University do when their newest star player finally succumbs to insanity?"

"Hey, who says I'm settling with ZU?" He lifts an eyebrow teasingly and motions toward the pile of envelopes now sitting on the opposite side of his bed. "I've got options now."

"Would you honestly turn down an offer from them?" Yuna challenges.

"Hell no!"

She laughs sweetly. "I didn't think so."

Tidus' arms snake tightly around her middle before he rolls over, pushing Yuna gently onto her back so that he's hovering over her with a boyish smile. The brunette giggles, her hair falling in a beautiful disarray around her flushed face.

"Now that we got _that_ nasty conversation over with…" He mumbles as his lips drift softly down her neck. "We can officially start getting pumped about our summer. Three whole months together until it's—"

"Game over," Yuna finishes breathlessly, her hands lifting to tangle her fingers into his soft blond hair. Tidus chuckles as he pulls away enough to eye her with a cheeky glimmer.

"That's where you're wrong," He says lightly before leaning down to capture her soft, awaiting lips in a kiss. "It's just gonna be the start of a brand new game."

**the end**

* * *

**A/N: Wow. Alright. As if you haven't already read through eleven chapters of me rambling on, it's time for the concluding author's note: THANK YOU. I just have to say that first. Writing has always been a big passion of mine (not the biggest, but a very important hobby to me) and it blows my mind whenever people actually respond to my stories. First and foremost, I have to thank my beta, without whom I might be a hideous, sobbing ball on the floor right now with only two half-assed chapters to my name. She got me through the hard chapters, the uncomfortable chapters, and soooo many ridiculous rants. I'll forever be grateful to her. I also want to thank everyone who's posted a review and/or followed along. That definitely means the most to me. I always begin a story with such tiny expectations, but knowing that there are people out there who care about this story the same way I do is what really gets me through. I love you all and seriously appreciate your time spent on my fic. **

**Okay, next it's time for my BIG ANNOUNCEMENT. Which probably isn't as much of a secret as I thought it was, but... I'm going to be writing a sequel to The Game of Love! I don't know when I'm going to get around to posting it (because I'm gonna try to get some other fics re-started before then, heheh...), but I'm already starting to plan it out and I'm super excited about it. As I was writing this story, I totally fell in love with the characters and found myself unwilling to let them go completely. So I'm going to tell a little bit more of their story, taking place 10 years in the future. Stick around for that, guys! I'll post updates and things like that to keep ya'll in the know. **

**Well... That's all? Wow. This is weird. It's been such a wild ride. I sincerely hope you've all enjoyed reading this fic as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Please feel free to check out my other fics if you're interested and stay tuned for the sequel!**


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